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{      JAN  23  lOlfl 


^^OSICAL  S^ 


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i:f)e  (general  tpiMt^ 

AN  EXPOSITION 


BY 

CHARLES   R.  ERDMAN 

Professor  of  Practical  Theology 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary 

Princeton,  New  Jersey 

Author  of  "The  Gospel  of  John,  an  Exposition," 

"Coming  to  the  Communion," 

"Sunday  Afternoons  with  Railroad  Men," 

'The  Gospel  of  Mark,  an  Exposition,"  and  so  forth 


PHILADELPHIA 

THE  WESTMINSTER  PRESS 

1918 


Copyright,  191 8 

by 

F.  M.  Braselmann 


The  Bible  text  printed  in  boldface  is  taken  tiom  the  American  Standard  Edition  of  the 
Revised  Bible,  copyright.  1901,  l^y  Thomas  Nelson  &  Sons,  and  is  used  by  permission. 


TO 

MY  MOTHER 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Foreword 7 

Introduction 9 

The  Epistle  of  James 11 

The  First  Epistle  of  Peter 51 

The  Second  Epistle  of  Peter 87 

The  First  Epistle  of  John 110 

The  Second  Epistle  of  John 153 

The  Third  Epistle  of  John 162 

The  Epistle  of  Jude 173 


FOREWORD 

Here  are  strengthening  words  for  days  of  storm  and 
testing,  and  cheering  words  for  nights  dark  and  starless, 
and  guiding  words  for  times  of  mental  perplexity  and  of 
moral  peril.  They  come  to  us  across  distant  centuries, 
but  they  meet  precisely  our  modern  needs.  They  are 
weighted  with  divine  mysteries,  but  they  chiefly  concern 
human  duties.  They  were  addressed  to  members  of  a 
heavenly  brotherhood,  but  they  deal  with  the  practical, 
earthly  problems  of  employers  and  servants,  husbands 
and  wives,  teachers  and  taught,  rich  and  poor,  of  all 
who  need  encouragement  to  press  on  through  sorrow  to 
joy,  through  temptation  and  failure  to  strength  and  vic- 
tory, through  doubts  and  fears  to  assured  faith  and  cloud- 
less hope.  They  were  written  by  men  who  had  been 
companions  of  Christ,  but  they  are  his  present  messengers 
for  all  who  \ield  to  his  Spirit  and  seek  to  do  his  will. 


INTRODUCTION 


The  art  of  letter-writing  has  been  lost;  at  least  it  is  sel- 
dom displayed.  The  haste  of  modern  life,  the  many- 
means  of  communication,  the  ease  of  travel  and  transpor- 
tation, the  multitude  of  books  and  papers,  these  and  other 
causes  have  increased  vastly  the  volume  of  correspondence, 
but  have  made  its  character  more  fugitive  and  less  studied 
and  serious.  It  cannot  be  denied,  however,  that  this 
form  of  literature  is  peculiarly  instinct  with  human 
interest  and  rich  in  biographic  and  historical  material. 

Among  all  the  letters  of  the  world,  those  written  in  the 
first  century  by  the  fallowers  of  Christ,  and  preserved  for 
us  in  the  New  Testament,  are  regarded  as  supreme.  By 
way  of  eminence  they  are  called  epistles.  This  word,  of 
course,  might  be  applied  to  any  series  of  letters;  yet 
fortunately  its  use  is  being  restricted  to  these  which  are  of 
such  surpassing  dignity  and  value  and  which  have  exercised 
such  an  incomparable  influence  upon  the  history  of  the 
race. 

Of  these  epistles  those  which  bear  the  names  of  James, 
Peter,  John,  and  Jude,  have  been  placed  in  a  group  by 
themselves  and  for  many  centuries  have  been  known  as  the 
catholic  or  "General  Epistles."  The  exact  meaning  of  the 
title  has  been  a  matter  of  some  uncertainty.  It  may 
refer  to  their  authorship,  their  contents,  or  their  destina- 
tion. The  authorship  of  all  other  New  Testament 
epistles  has  popularly  been  assigned  to  Paul,  but  in  this 
group  of  General  Epistles  we  find  the  products  of  a  number 
of  different  writers.  Of  these,  James  and  Jude  were  own 
brothers  of  Jesus  and  the  other  two,  Peter  and  John,  were 
his  most  prominent  apostles.  It  is  of  interest  to  note  that 
we  find  here  the  writings  of  two  men  who  had  shared  the 
experiences  of  the  home  in  Nazareth  and  of  two  other  men, 
who  had  been  most  intimate  with  Christ  in  the  days  of  his 
earthly  ministry  and  who  after  his  ascension  were  most 
closely  united  in  the  work  of  establishing  his  Church. 


10  INTRODUCTION 

While  it  is  not  highly  probable  that  the  title  of  these 
epistles  is  due  to  their  content,  it  is  true  that  the  themes 
discussed  are  of  the  most  general  character.  They  con- 
tain references  to  every  cardinal  doctrine  of  Christianity, 
and  touch  every  phase  of  Christian  experience.  It  is 
well  to  note,  however,  that  each  one  of  these  writers  lays 
special  stress  upon  some  one  characteristic  and  distin- 
guishing truth.  James  is  the  apostle  of  works,  Peter 
gives  messages  of  hope,  John  is  an  exponent  of  love,  and 
Jude  emphasizes  the  need  of  a  pure  faith. 

It  is  most  of  all  likely  that  the  title  is  due  to  the  general 
character  of  the  readers  for  whom  these  epistles  were  de- 
signed. Paul  wrote  his  letters  to  specific  individuals  or 
churches  or  groups  of  churches;  these  letters  were  ad- 
dressed to  the  universal  Church  or  to  Christian  believers 
scattered  over  wide  areas  of  the  Roman  Empire.  This  is 
not  strictly  true  of  them  all.  For  example,  the  Second 
and  Third  Epistles  of  John  seem  to  be  addressed  to  in- 
dividuals. However,  it  is  sufficiently  accurate  to  suggest 
this  general  character  as  the  origin  of  the  familiar  title 
and  to  allow  us  to  make  the  immediate  application  that 
here  are  messages  for  us  all,  designed  for  the  help  and 
guidance  of  Christians  in  every  place  and  time. 

The  historic  references  in  these  epistles  lead  us  back  to 
the  earthly  ministry  of  Christ  and  to  the  recorded  acts 
of  his  apostles.  The  prophetic  utterances  point  us  for- 
ward to  his  return,  not  with  such  fullness  as  to  satisfy  our 
curiosity,  but  with  such  certainty  as  to  inspire  hope. 
One  of  their  chief  values  lies  in  their  accurate  pictures  of 
the  Apostolic  Church,  covering  the  whole  course  of  its 
career  from  the  early  ministry  of  James  to  the  late  years 
of  the  aged  John.  The  passages  of  difficult  interpretation 
are  sufficiently  numerous  to  inspire  humility  and  caution; 
but  the  main  teachings  are  plain  and  of  immediate  applica- 
tion to  the  life  and  problems  of  the  modern  Church.  They 
invite  careful  and  repeated  reading  and  suggest  the 
possibility  of  continual  growth  ''in  the  grace  and  knowledge 
of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ." 


The  Epistle  of 
JAIMES 

Those  were  peculiar  privileges  which  the  writer  of  this 
epistle  enjoyed  during  the  long  years  of  companionship 
with  Jesus,  his  brother,  in  the  home  of  Mary  at  Nazareth; 
together  they  read  the  book  of  nature  in  lovely  Galilee, 
together  they  were  taught  the  Book  of  God  by  their  mother 
and  in  the  village  school.  These  influences  were  never 
lost.  It  is  true  that,  like  his  brothers,  James  did  not 
understand  the  startling  claims  which  Jesus  made  as  he 
began  his  public  ministry,  he  was  not  convinced  by  the 
miracles  or  the  equally  wonderful  messages  of  our  Lord; 
he  illustrates  the  stupidity,  possibly  the  subsequent  poign- 
ant regret,  of  those  who  fail  to  value  the  familiar  and  the 
near,  and  who  give  no  honor  to  a  prophet  "in  his  own 
house."  Nevertheless  he  never  lost  the  impression  made 
upon  him  by  the  words  and  works  of  Christ;  and  when, 
in  the  light  of  the  resurrection,  the  light  which  alone 
brings  conviction  to  most  of  us  to-day,  he  saw  the  true 
nature  of  his  brother  according  to  the  flesh,  he  was  ready 
to  worship  and  serve  him  as  his  divine  Lord  and  Master. 
Then  those  early  influences  bore  their  abundant  fruit. 
No  one  among  the  followers  of  Christ  was  better  known, 
none  more  respected,  none  more  honored.  James  was 
conceded  the  place  of  leadership,  he  was  recognized  as  the 
head  of  the  Church.  So,  too,  as  he  composed  his  epistle 
he  used,  more  nearly  than  any  other  writer,  the  very  words 
of  Jesus,  and  he  reproduced  more  perfectly  the  spirit  of 
those  Scriptures  which  as  a  boy  he  had  studied  with  Jesus. 
It  is  evident  from  the  letter  that  those  whom  James  ad- 
dresses were  Jews.  He  calls  them  "the  twelve  tribes  which 
are  of  the  Dispersion,"  and  he  has  in  mind  his  fellow 
country^men  who  were  scattered  in  various  parts  of  the 
Roman  world.  Evidently  they  have  accepted  Jesus  as  the 
Messiah,  as  "the  Lord  of  glory,"  and  James  is  writing 
from  Jerusalem  to  urge  them  to  live  in  accordance  with 
their  Christian   profession.      Most  of    them  seem  to  be 

11 


I 


12  THE  EPISTLE  OF  JAMES 

poor,  and  to  be  suffering  from  the  selfishness  and 
oppression  of  the  Jews  among  whom  they  are  Hving. 
They  are  persecuted  as  apostates,  dragged  before  the 
judgment  seats,  imprisoned,  deprived  of  their  goods,  and 
tempted  to  renounce  their  faith.  Nor  are  they  them- 
selves free  from  fault.  They  seek  the  friendship  of  the 
world,  are  obsequious  to  the  rich,  are  at  strife  among 
themselves,  are  lacking  in  Christian  love.  The  purpose 
of  the  epistle,  therefore,  is  eminently  practical.  James 
seeks  to  correct  their  errors  and  to  admonish  them  for 
their  failures.  He  does  not  attempt  to  teach  Christian 
doctrine,  but  to  stimulate  Christian  life.  He  assumes 
the  great  truths  of  the  faith  and  upon  these  as  a  founda- 
tion urges  the  readers  to  build  the  necessary  superstruc- 
ture of  consistent  works. 

The  theme  of  the  epistle  might  be  stated  as  "Christian 
Wisdom,"  by  which  is  meant,  not  speculative  knowledge 
or  revealed  truth,  but  practical  know^ledge,  truth  applied 
to  life,  creed  resulting  in  character.  It  shows  how  Chris- 
tians should  and  may  live  in  days  of  discouragement  and 
persecution;  it  suggests  the  temptations  by  which  they 
ever  are  beset.  It  guides  their  actions  when  trials  abound, 
when  even  in  churches  may  be  found  "respect  of  persons," 
dead  orthodoxy,  tongues  of  deceit.  e\il  speaking,  love  of 
the  world,  forgetfulness  of  God,  self-indulgence,  and  greed. 
It  is  thus  an  epistle  of  practical  wisdom  for  perilous 
times. 

Most  striking  of  all  is  the  fact  that  its  fundamental 
note  voices  the  universal  cry  of  the  present  age.  This 
note  is  the  demand  for  reality  in  religion;  it  rebukes  all 
pretense  and  self-deception,  all  sham  and  hypocrisy; 
it  insists  that  faith  shall  be  tested  by  works,  that  char- 
acter shall  correspond  to  profession.  It  is  this  under- 
lying thought  which  unites  the  various  sections  of  the 
epistle  and  brings  into  vital  relation  its  diverse  themes. 
These  sections  may  be  summarized  as  follows: 

1.  Trials  and  Temptations.     James  1  :  1-18. 

2.  Hearing  and  Doing.     Ch.  1  :  19-27. 

3.  Respect  of  Persons.     Ch.  2  :  1-13. 

4.  Faith  and  Works.     Ch.  2  :  14-26. 


THE  EPISTLE  OF  JAMES  13 

5.  Control  of  the  Tongue.     Ch.  3  :  1-12. 

6.  False  and  True  Wisdom.     Ch.  3  :  13-18. 

7.  Worldly  Lusts.     Ch.  4  :  1-10. 

8.  Censoriousness.     Ch.  4:11,  12. 

9.  Self-Confidence.     Ch.  4  :  13-17. 

10.  The  Doom  of  the  Oppressor.     Ch.  5  :  1-6. 

11.  Patience  in  Suffering.     Ch.  5  :  7-11. 

12.  Profanity.     Ch.  5  :  12. 

13.  Prayer  for  the  Sick.     Ch.  5  :  13-18. 

14.  Saving  Souls.     Ch.  5  :  19,  20. 


James  1:1-18     TRIALS  AND  TEMPTATIONS  15 


1.  Trials  and  Temptations.     James  i  :  1-18 

1  James,  a  servant  cf  God  and  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
to  the  twelve  tribes  which  are  of  the  Dispersion,  greeting. 

2  Count  it  all  joy,  my  brethren,  when  ye  fall  into  manifold 
temptations;  3  knowing  that  the  proving  of  your  faith 
worketh  patience.  4  And  let  patience  have  its  perfect  work, 
that  ye  may  be  perfect  and  entire,  lacking  in  nothing. 

5  But  if  any  of  you  lacketh  wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God, 
who  giveth  to  all  liberally  and  upbraideth  not;  and  it  shall  be 
given  him.  6  But  let  him  ask  in  faith,  nothing  doubting: 
for  he  that  doubteth  is  like  the  surge  of  the  sea  driven  by 
the  wind  and  tossed.  7  For  let  not  that  man  think  that 
he  shall  receive  anything  of  the  Lord;  8  a  doubleminded 
man,  unstable  in  all  his  ways. 

9  But  let  the  brother  of  low  degree  glory  in  his  high  estate : 
10  and  the  rich,  in  that  he  is  made  low:  because  as  the 
flower  of  the  grass  he  shall  pass  away.  11  For  the  sun 
ariseth  with  the  scorching  wind,  and  withereth  the  grass; 
and  the  flower  thereof  falleth,  and  the  grace  of  the  fashion 
of  it  perisheth:  so  also  shall  the  rich  man  fade  away  in 
his  goings. 

12  Blessed  is  the  man  that  endureth  temptation;  for 
when  he  hath  been  approved,  he  shall  receive  the  crown 
of  life,  which  the  Lord  promised  to  them  that  love  him. 
13  Let  no  man  say  when  he  is  tempted,  I  am  tempted  of  God; 
for  God  cannot  be  tempted  with  evil,  and  he  himself  tempteth 
no  man:  14  but  each  man  is  tempted,  when  he  is  drawn 
away  by  his  own  lust,  and  enticed.  15  Then  the  lust,  when 
it  hath  conceived,  beareth  sin:  and  the  sin,  when  it  is  full- 
grown,  bringeth  forth  death.  16  Be  not  deceived,  my  be- 
loved brethren.  17  Every  good  gift  and  every  perfect  gift 
is  from  above,  coming  down  from  the  Father  of  lights,  with 
whom  can  be  no  variation,  neither  shadow  that  is  cast  by 
turning.  18  Of  his  own  will  he  brought  us  forth  by  the  word 
of  trutii,  that  we  should  be  a  kind  of  firstfruits  of  his  creatures. 

In  his  brief  line  of  greeting  James  pauses  for  no  long 
description  of  himself  or  of  his  readers,  merely  indicating 
that  as  a  "servant  of  God"  he  worships  and  obeys  Jesus 
Christ  as  divine  Lord  and  Master,  and  that  those  to  whom 


16  EPISTLE  OF  JAMES         James  1: 1-18 

he  writes  are  Jews  of  the  great  national  dispersion.  He 
at  once  turns  to  the  first  great  need  of  the  readers,  both  in 
his  day  and  ours,  as  he  gives  comfort  in  trial  and  warning 
in  temptation.  It  is  true  that  both  experiences  are 
denoted  by  the  same  word,  yet  the  testing  of  which  he 
speaks  first  is  that  of  outward  circumstances,  and  that 
which  he  next  considers  is  due  to  inward  desire. 

He  startles  us  by  the  strange  paradox  with  which  he 
begins,  as  he  bids  us  "count  it  all  joy"  when  we  are 
suddenly  overwhelmed  by  misfortunes  of  every  possible 
kind.  He  does  not  mean  that  we  are  to  court  disaster  or 
to  seek  for  trouble  or  to  deny  the  reality  of  pain  and  sor- 
row, but  we  are  to  regard  all  these  adversities  as  tests  of 
faith  and  as  means  of  moral  and  spiritual  growth.  We  are 
to  rejoice,  not  because  distresses  come,  but  in  view  of  their 
possible  results.  They  may  produce  "patience,"  which  is 
not  mere  passive  submission,  but  steadfast  endurance 
and  triumphant  trust.  We  are  urged  therefore  to  allow 
"patience"  to  do  its  full  work  in  producing  a  maturity  of 
character  in  which  every  virtue  is  fully  developed  and  no 
grace  is  lacking.  Such  a  blessed  issue  of  trials  is  possible 
only  when  we  look  upon  them  in  the  right  light;  it 
requires  "wisdom"  to  see  life  steadily  and  "see  it"  whole 
and  to  view  its  darker  scenes  in  their  right  perspective. 
Trials  may  embitter,  they  may  dwarf,  they  may  work 
moral  disaster.  Therefore  we  must  ask  God  for  needed 
grace,  for  true  "wisdom."  He  gives  to  all  liberally;  he 
never  rebukes  us  for  asking  too  much.  We  must,  however, 
look  to  him  in  absolute  confidence.  If  our  minds  are 
allowed  to  dwell  only  on  our  distress,  or  to  turn  restlessly 
back  and  forth  from  his  changeless  love  to  our  pitiful 
selves,  the  state  of  the  soul  is  like  a  wave  of  the  sea, 
"driven  by  the  wind  and  tossed";  surely  then  no  divine 
grace  can  be  received,  no  moral  progress  can  be  made. 

Two  familiar  examples  of  testing  are  now  given,  the 
trials  of  poverty  and  the  temptations  of  wealth.  Either 
may  result  in  moral  injury,  even  in  spiritual  disaster; 
but  if  met  with  the  "wisdom"  which  God  gives,  either  may 
issue  in  the  perfecting  of  character.  It  is  of  course  much 
easier  to  rejoice  when  wealth  comes  than  when  it  goes; 


James  1:1-18    TRIALS  AND  TEMPTATIONS  17 

but  joy  may  be  possible  in  the  latter  experience  when  we 
realize  that  what  one  is  should  concern  him  more  than  what 
he  has,  particularly  when  we  remember  that  wealth  passes 
away  and  a  man  ceases  to  be  rich  quite  as  swiftly  as  a 
flower  withers  under  the  summer  sun.  The  character, 
however,  which  issues,  from  either  the  test  of  prosperity 
or  the  test  of  adversity  abides  forever. 

As  James,  therefore,  emphasizes  the  reward  of  endur- 
ance, he  speaks  of  "the  crown  of  life,  which  the  Lord 
promised  to  them  that  love  him,"  by  which  he  means  that 
one  whose  faith  stands  the  test,  one  who  views  each  event 
of  life  in  thelight  of  the  wisdom  which  God  gives,  receives  as 
a  reward,  as  an  inevitable  result,  life  in  ever  fuller,  larger 
degree,  life  more  abundant,  life  for  time  and  for  eternity. 

As  the  writer  declares  this  blessedness  of  "the  man  that 
endureth  temptation,"  he  has  in  mind  both  the  tests  of 
outward  circumstances  and  also  of  inclinations  to  sin.  Of 
the  latter  he  now  speaks  in  more  detail.  He  assures  us  that 
as  trials  may  lead  into  truer  life,  any  harm  which  results 
from  them  must  be  due  to  the  evil  within  us.  That  which 
converts  a  trial  into  a  temptation  is  solely  the  sinful  lust 
that  comes  from  our  own  hearts.  "Let  no  man  say  when 
he  is  tempted,  I  am  tempted  of  God."  We  may  not  use 
those  words,  but  we  are  all  inclined  to  excuse  our  wrong- 
doing on  the  ground  of  some  circumstance  or  inheritance 
which  is  logically  related  to  the  providence  of  God,  which 
therefore  comes  from  God.  Evil,  however,  cannot  tempt 
God,  it  can  make  no  appeal  to  him,  it  cannot  have  its 
source  in  him;  therefore  "he  himself  tempteth  no  man." 
Evil  desire,  which  we  should  resist,  which  by  the  grace  of 
God  we  may  resist,  is  like  a  temptress  by  w^hom  one  is 
coaxed  and  cajoled  and  enticed;  and  when  evil  desire  is 
allowed  to  lodge  in  the  heart  it  soon  controls  the  will. 
The  result  is  sin,  and  the  issue  of  sin  is  nothing  less  hideous 
than  death.  The  loss  of  beauty  and  purity  and  holiness 
and  happiness,  the  loss  of  fellowship  with  goodness  and 
God,  the  loss  of  all  that  is  worthy  the  name  of  life,  comes 
from  our  own  evil  selves. 

James  warns  us  against  false  conceptions  of  ourselves 
or  of  God:   "Be  not  deceived,  my  beloved  brethren."     So 


18  EPISTLE  OF  JAMES  James  1:  1-18 

far  from  being  the  author  of  evil,  God  is  the  Giver  of  every 
good  gift,  and  all  his  gifts  are  good.  He  is  like  the  sun; 
other  heavenly  bodies  like  the  moon  or  stars  may  wax  or 
wane,  but  from  "the  Father  of  lights"  streams  forth 
changeless,  unmingled  love.  Surely  we  can  trust  him  in 
every  hour  of  trial,  in  every  time  of  temptation.  His 
greatest  gift  is  the  new  life  which  he  has  imparted  to  us 
through  the  truth  revealed  in  Christ.  As  the  "firstfruits" 
were  dedicated  to  God  and  gave  promise  of  the  coming 
harvest,  so  we  Christians  are  designed  to  be  the  special 
possession  of  God  and  the  pledge  and  earnest  of  a  redeemed 
race. 


James  1:19-27     HEARING  AND  DOING  19 


2.  Hearing  and  Doing.     Ch.  1  :  19-27 

19  Ye  know  this,  my  beloved  brethren.  But  let  every 
man  be  swift  to  hear,  slow  to  speak,  slow  to  wrath:  20  for 
the  wrath  of  man  worketh  not  the  righteousness  of  God.  21 
Wherefore  putting  away  all  filthiness  and  overflowing  of 
wickedness,  receive  with  meekness  the  implanted  word, 
which  is  able  to  save  your  souls.  22  But  be  ye  doers  of  the 
word,    and   not   hearers    only,    deluding   your   own   selves. 

23  For  if  any  one  is  a  hearer  of  the  word  and  not  a  doer,  he 
is  like  unto  a  man  beholding  his  natural  face  in  a  mirror: 

24  for  he  beholdeth  himself,  and  goeth  away,  and  straightway 
forgetteth  what  manner  of  man  he  was.  25  But  he  that 
looketh  into  the  peifect  law,  the  law  of  liberty,  and  so  con- 
tinueth,  being  not  a  hearer  that  forgetteth  but  a  doer  that 
worketh,  this  man  shall  be  blessed  in  his  doing.  26  If  any 
man  thinketh  himself  to  be  religious,  while  he  bridle th  not 
his  tongue  but  deceiveth  his  heart,  this  man's  religion  is 
vain.  27  Pure  religion  and  undefiled  before  our  God  and 
Father  is  this,  to  visit  the  fatherless  and  widows  in  their 
affliction,  and  to  keep  oneself  unspotted  from  the  world. 

James  has  been  speaking  of  the  word  of  God  as  the 
instrument  whereby  a  new  life  is  imparted  to  the  believer. 
He  intimates  that  his  readers  are  familiar  with  this  fact, 
and  with  the  gracious  purpose  of  God  toward  all  men: 
"Ye  know  this,  my  beloved  brethren."  He  deems  it 
necessary,  however,  to  give  certain  instructions  relative 
to  the  use  which  should  be  made  of  this  word  of  God, 
this  "word  of  truth,"  this  gospel  message.  In  fact  he 
reaches  the^central  thought  of  his  epistle  as  he  insists 
that  truth  must^BeTeceived, into  the  heart  and  expressed 
in  th£_life.  There  are  those  who  seem  to  think  that  "the 
word"  is  intended  as  an  obJ££t  about  which  we  are  to  talk 
or  to  fight.  Some  men  find  little  else  in  the  Bible  than 
subjects^  for  debate.  On  the  contrar>%  James  insists  that 
the  message  concerning  Christ  must  be  heard  with  eager- 
ness and  carefully  obeyed.  "Let  every  man  be  swift  to 
hear,"  let  him  improve  every  opportunity ior  learning  more 


20  EPISTLE  OF  JAMES        James  1:  19-27 

truth,  let  him  listen  again  and  again  to  the  divine  message, 
let  him  be  ready  to  receive  light  from  any  source.  Let 
him  be  "slow  to  speak,"  humbly  taking  the  place  of  a 
learner,  or  if  it  becomes  his  duty  to  testify  or  to  teach,  let 
him  do  so  with  modesty  and  reverence,  avoiding  all  care- 
lessness and  flippancy  and  self-confidence.  Let  him  also 
be  "slow  to  wrath."  Unhappily  religious  discussions 
are  too  often  attended  with  heat  and  anger.  Too  many 
public  teachers  seem  to  feel  that  the  bitterness  with  which 
they  assail  their  opponents  will  attest  their  zeal  and 
devotion.  James  reminds  such  that  "the  wrath  of  man" 
cannot  produce  "the  righteousness"  which  God  requires 
and  which  he  aims  to  produce  in  the  conduct  of  Christians. 
True  hearers  will  put  away  all  e^-il  and  malicious  thoughts, 
and  by  a  spirit  of  meekness  will  prepare  the  soul,  as  good 
soil,  for  the  reception  of  "the  word,"  which  is  implanted 
like  good  seed  and  springs  up  in  a  harvest  of  virtue  and 
holiness  and  life. 

That  this  blessed  issue  may  result,  the  believer  must 
receive  the  truth  not  only  with  meekness  but  also  with 
prompt  and  resolute  obedience:  "But  be  ye  doers  of  the 
word,  and  not  hearers  only,  deluding  your  own  selves." 
This  delusion  is  common  in  the  case  of  those  who  suppose 
themselves  to  be  religious  because  they  are  familiar  with 
religious  truths  and  their  discussion.  One  who  merely 
listens,  or  whose  knowledge  results  in  no  action,  is  likened 
by  James  to  a  man  who  gives  a  hasty  glance  into  a  mirror 
and  then  turns  away  forgetful  of  what  he  has  seen  and 
with  no  effort  toward  improving  his  appearance.  What  a 
magic  mirror  the  Word  of  God  provides!  It  shows  a  man 
exactly  what  he  is,  with  all  his  faults  and  failures  and 
infirmities;  and  yet,  as  he  gazes  upon  that  reflection,  he 
beholds  another  image,  that  of  the  ideal  Man,  and  he  sees 
what  he  himself  should  be.  Most  marvelous  of  all,  as  he 
looks  steadfastly  upon  the  glorious  perfection  of  his  Lord, 
he  finds  himself  free  from  the  bondage  of  habit  and  self 
and  sin,  and  becoming  "transformed  into  the  same  image 
from  glory  to  glory."  Surely,  one  who  makes  such  a  use 
of  the  word  of  truth,  one  who  gazes  into  it  and  makes  its 
revelations  the  law  of  his  life,  cannot  fail  to  find  the  bless- 


James  1:  19-27     HEARING  AND  DOING  21 

ing  of  God  on  all  his  deeds;  he  is  "not  a  hearer  that  for- 
getteth  but  a  doer  that  worketh." 

James  has  suggested  that  a  man  may  deceive  himself  as 
to  his  religious  state  by  his  enjoyment  of  religious  discus- 
sions, or  by  his  fluency  of  speech  on  religious  themes,  or 
by  the  warmth  of  his  passion  in  religious  disputes;  he  now 
adds  that  another  cause  of  self-deception  may  be  found  in 
the  care  with  which  one  performs  religious  rites  and  cere- 
monies. One  may  be  most  scrupulous  in  observing  all 
the  prescribed  forms  of  religion,  he  may  give  alms  and  pray 
and  fast,  as  the  Pharisees  did;  he  may  attend  church  and 
sing  hymns  and  observe  sacraments;  but  his  religion 
may  still  be  an  empty  and  vain  delusion.  James  suggests 
three  tests  of  religion,  or  to  follow  his  words  more  exactly, 
he  prescribes  three  religious  exercises  which  cannot  fail 
to  please  God. 

The  first  of  these  is  sejf^control.  The  example  which  he 
gives  is  that  of  ability  to  bridle  the  tongue.  In  contrast 
with  those  members  of  the  Church  who  prided  themselves 
upon  their  skill  in  debate  and  their  ability  to  distress  their 
opponents,  he  suggests  that  a  truer  test  of  religion  may  be 
found  in  the  ability  to  keep  silence,  particularly  under 
irritating  and  annoying  circumstances.  "Holding  the 
tongue"  is  only  one  of  many  forms  of  self-discix)line,  but, 
as  James  suggests  in  a  later  chapter,  it  is  a  supreme  test, 
and,  "if  any  stumbleth  not  in  word,  the  same  is  a  perfect 
man,  able  to  bridle  the  whole  body." 

The  second  exercise  of  religion  which  James  proposes  is 
charity.  As  the  Old  Testament  frequently  intimates, 
those  usually  most  in  need  of  sympathy  and  aid  are 
orphans  and  widows.  But  they  are  not  the  only  persons 
who  make  their  appeal  to  our  pity;  James  mentions  them 
simply  as  types  or  examples;  but  he  declares  that  care  for 
them  constitutes  a  true  religious  ceremony,  it  is  part  of  a 
real  ritual:  "Pure  religion  and  undefiled  before  our  God 
and  Father  is  this,  to  visit  the  fatherless  and  widows  in  their 
affliction." 

The  third  expression  of  religion  mentioned  by  James  is 
piicity:  "To  keep  oneself  unspotted  from  the  world." 
To  be  religious,  in  this  true  sense,  is  by  no  means  easy. 


22  EPISTLE  OF  JAMES        James  1:  19-27 

The  world  about  us  is  full  of  evil ;  its  maxims,  its  practices, 
its  ideals,  are  too  commonly  opposed  to  the  will  of  God. 
By  obedience  to  them  the  pure  soul  is  sullied  and  stained 
by  sin.  To  walk  "in  white  garments,"  to  have  clean 
hands  and  clean  hearts,  this  is  to  be  religious,  this  is  to 
please  God. 


James  2:  1-13       RESPECT  OF  PERSONS  23 


3.  Respect  of  Persons.     Ch.  2  : 1-13 

1  My  brethren,  hold  not  the  faith  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
the  Lord  of  glory,  with  respect  of  persons.  2  For  if  there  come 
into  your  synagogue  a  man  with  a  gold  ring,  in  fine  clothing, 
and  there  come  in  also  a  poor  man  in  vile  clothing;  3  and  ye 
have  regard  to  him  that  weareth  the  fine  clothing,  and  say, 
Sit  thou  here  in  a  good  place;  and  ye  say  to  the  poor  man, 
Stand  thou  there,  or  sit  under  my  footstool;  4  do  ye  not 
make  distinctions  among  yourselves,  and  become  judges 
with  evil  thoughts?  5  Hearken,  my  beloved  brethren;  did 
not  God  choose  them  that  are  poor  as  to  the  world  to  be  rich 
in  faith,  and  heirs  of  the  kingdom  which  he  promised  to  them 
that  love  him?  6  But  ye  have  dishonored  the  poor  man. 
Do  not  the  rich  oppress  you,  and  themselves  drag  you  before 
the  judgment-seats?  7  Do  not  they  blaspheme  the  honor- 
able name  by  which  ye  are  called?  8  Howbeit  if  ye  fulfil  the 
royal  law,  according  to  the  scripture,  Thou  shalt  love  thy 
neighbor  as  thyself,  ye  do  well:  9  but  if  ye  have  respect  of 
persons,  ye  commit  sin,  being  convicted  by  the  law  as  trans- 
gressors. 10  For  whosoever  shall  keep  the  whole  law,  and 
yet  stumble  in  one  point,  he  is  become  guilty  of  all.  1 1  For 
he  that  said,  Do  not  commit  adultery,  said  also.  Do  not  kill. 
Now  if  thou  dost  not  commit  adultery,  but  killest,  thou  art 
become  a  transgressor  of  the  law.  12  So  speak  ye,  and  so  do, 
as  men  that  are  to  be  judged  by  a  law  of  liberty.  13  For 
judgment  is  without  mercy  to  him  that  hath  showed  no 
mercy:  mercy  glorieth  against  judgment. 

In  his  first  chapter  James  has  spoken  of  the  temptations 
by  which  we  are  assailed;  here  he  deals  with  one  which  is 
most  common,  namely,  that  of  partiality,  of  making  unfair 
distinctions  between  persons.  He  has  also  referred  to 
"the  word  of  truth"  by  which  we  should  direct  our  lives; 
he  here  mentions  a  fault  which  the  law  of  Christ  would 
forbid.  Possibly  the  connection  is  even  more  direct. 
The  previous  verses  have  dealt  with  forms  of  religious 
service;  here  the  writer  may  be  recalling  a  scene  which  he 
had  recently  witnessed  in  the  place  of  worship.  The 
incident,  whether  real  or  imaginary,  was  one  in  which  honor 
was  shown  to  a  rich  man  and  disrespect  to  a  man  who  was 


24  EPISTLE  OF  JAMES         James  2: 1-13 

poor;  it  is  here  mentioned  to  illustrate  the  fault  which 
James  seeks  to  correct,  namely,  "respect  of  persons." 
The  word  so  translated  means  "judging  by  appearances," 
and  so  influenced  to  unfair  treatment  of  people  by  con- 
siderations of  wealth  or  class  or  power  or  social  distinction. 
The  folly  of  such  behavior  is  rebuked  by  the  words  the 
writer  employs  to  introduce  his  theme:  "My  brethren." 
We  should  treat  one  another  as  equals  in  the  household  of 
God  and  "hold  not  the  faith  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the 
Lord  of  glory,  with  respect  of  persons."  As  our  faith  is  in 
Jesus  Christ  we  should  follow  his  example;  as  we  submit 
to  him  as  Lord  we  should  obey  his  law;  as  he  is  "the  Lord 
of  glory,",  then,  by  comparison  with  him,  all  degrees  of 
rank  and  position  among  men  are  insignificant  and  con- 
temptible. 

Nevertheless  the  fault  of  partiality,  and  of  making  un- 
just distinctions,  is  far  too  common  even  among  Chris- 
tians. Few  of  us  find  the  least  difficulty  in  imagining  the 
picture  which  James  paints:  Two  strangers  present  them- 
selves to  take  part  in  a  religious  service;  one,  by  his 
gorgeous  clothing  and  his  jewelry,  is  proclaimed  to  be  rich; 
the  other,  in  wretched  rags,  is  evidently  poor;  the  former 
is  cordially  welcomed  and  given  a  seat  of  honor,  the  latter 
is  made  to  stand  against  the  wall  or  to  crouch  upon  the 
floor.  Such  conduct  and  all  similar  offenses  James  severely 
rebukes:  "Do  ye  not  make  distinctions  among  yourselves, 
and  become  judges  with  evil  thoughts?" 

The  fault  is  condemned  as  unreasonable.  It  is  really 
absurd.  .Many  poor  men  are  actually  rich,  and  many 
rich  men  are  deserving  only  of  contempt.  How  foolish 
then  to  judge  a  man  by  outward  circumstances  or  to  con- 
demn him  because  he  belongs  to  a  certain  class!  Poor 
men  are  often  peculiarly  rich  in  faith,  and  heirs  of  the 
glorious  Kingdom  of  God;  rich  men  are  often  opposed  to 
God  and  his  cause.  .The  latter  in  the  days  of  James,  were 
notoriously  cruel  to  Christians,  oppressing  them  and 
dragging  them  to  the  judgment  seats,  and  blaspheming 
the  name  of  their  Lord. 

More  serious  still  the  fault  is  not  only  unreasonable; 
it  is  unlawful,  it  is  actually  sinful.     For  all  Christians,  and 


James  2:  1-13       RESPECT  OF  PERSONS  25 

in  the  treatment  of  all  men  there  is  one  changeless  law: 
,it  is  the  law  of  love.  It  is  called  "the  royal  law"  because 
it  is  superior  to  all  others  and  because  it  makes  those  who 
obey  it  regal  and  kingly.  It  is  called  the  "law  of  liberty" 
for  it  sets  men  free  from  sin  and  self.  If  we  are  controlled 
by  this  law  in  our  treatment  of  rich  or  poor,  w^e  are  worthy 
of  praise;  "If  ye  fulfil  the  royal  law,  according  to  the 
scripture,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself,  ye  do 
well:  but  if  ye  have  respect  of  persons,  ye  commit  sin, 
being  convicted  by  the  law  as  transgressors." 

To  em.phasize  the  guilt  James  adds  the  difficult  words: 
"For  whosoever  shall  keep  the  whole  law,  and  yet  stumble 
in  one  point,  he  is  become  guilty  of  all."  JJe  does  not 
mean  that  all  sin  is  equally  great,  or  that  it  is  as  serious 
to  break  one  commandment  as  to  break  all.  Breaking 
one  commandment  puts  the  offender  in  the  class  of  trans- 
gressors. It  also  shows  that  he  is  indifferent  to  law,  and 
so  to  the  will  of  God  expressed  in  all  the  commandments, 
and  that  it  is  but  accident  or  fear  or  the  absence  of  tempta- 
tion that  prevents  him  from  breaking  the  other  command- 
ments. Most  of  all,  it  is  evident  that  as  love  is  the  sum  of 
all  the  law,  acting  contrary  to  love  is,  in  principle,  breaking 
"the  whole  law." 

We  should  be  careful,  then,  as  to  our  judgments,  and 
guard  against  all  unfair  discriminations,  all  narrow  sus- 
picions and  class  distinctions  and  race  prejudices,  for  we 
ourselves  are  to  be  judged.  It  is  reassuring  to  know  that 
it  is  to  be  by  "a  law  of  liberty"  and  of  love.  Let  us 
remember,  however,  that  it  is  nevertheless  by  a  law  of 
justice,  and  "judgment  is  without  mercy  to  him  that  hath 
showed  no  mercy."  So,  as  we  hope  to  find  that  "mercy 
glorieth  against  judgment,"  let  love  triumph  in  all  our 
estimates  and  judgments  of  our  fellow  men.  We  shall 
not  then  be  guilty  of  holding  the  faith  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  "with  respect  of  persons." 


I 


26  EPISTLE  OF  JAMES        James  2:  14-26 


4.  Faith  and  Works.     Ch.  2  :  14-26 

14  What  doth  it  profit,  my  brethren,  if  a  man  say  he  hath 
faith,  but  have  not  works?  can  that  faith  save  him?  15  If  a 
brother  or  sister  be  naked  and  in  lack  of  daily  food,  16  and 
one  of  you  say  unto  them,  Go  in  peace,  be  ye  warmed  and 
filled;  and  yet  ye  give  them  not  the  things  needful  to  the 
body;  what  doth  it  profit?  17  Even  so  faith,  if  it  have  not 
works,  is  dead  in  itself.  18  Yea,  a  man  will  say,  Thou  hast 
faith,  and  I  have  works:  show  me  thy  faith  apart  from  thy 
works,  and  I  by  my  works  will  show  thee  my  faith.  19  Thou 
believest  that  God  is  one;  thou  doest  well:  the  demons  also 
believe,  and  shudder.  20  But  wilt  thou  know,  O  vain  man, 
that  faith  apart  from  works  is  barren?  21  Was  not  Abraham 
our  father  justified  by  works,  in  that  he  offered  up  Isaac  his 
son  upon  the  altar?  22  Thou  seest  that  faith  wrought  with 
his  works,  and  by  works  was  faith  made  perfect;  23  and 
the  scripture  v/as  fulfilled  which  saith.  And  Abraham  be- 
lieved God,  and  it  was  reckoned  unto  him  for  righteousness; 
and  he  was  called  the  friend  of  God.  24  Ye  see  that  by 
works  a  man  is  justified,  and  not  only  by  faith.  25  And  in 
like  manner  v/as  not  also  Rahab  the  harlot  justified  by  works, 
in  that  she  received  the  messengers,  and  sent  them  out 
another  way?  26  For  as  the  body  apart  from  the  spirit  is 
dead,  even  so  faith  apart  from  v/orks  is  dead. 

It  is  right  to  say  that  James  has  no  part  in  the  popular 
discussion  as  to  whether  a  man  is  saved  by  faith  or  vSaved 
by  works.  His  concern  is  to  prove  that  faith  and  works 
are  inseparable.  He  never  questions  that  faith  is  the  in- 
strument of  salvation,  but  he  insists  that  if  faith  is  real 
it  will  manifest  itself  in  works.  Faith  is  trust  and  devo- 
tion and  obedience  and  love;  a  "faith"  which  is  mere 
assent  to  a  creed  is  not  worthy  the  name.  A  faith  which 
does  not  produce  works  cannot  save,  it  is  "dead,"  it  is 
"barren" — this  is  the  truth  which  James  seeks  to  establish 
in  this  famous  section  of  his  epistle. 

He  has  been  warning  his  readers  against  the  folly  of  try- 
ing to  hold  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  at  the  same 
time  breaking  the  law  of  love  and  showing  "respect  of 


James  2:  14-26     FAITH  AND  WORKS  27 

persons."  He  has  insisted  that  this  is  impossible;  real 
faith  in  Christ  will  manifest  itself  in  love.  He  now 
proceeds  to  enlarge  upon  this  vital  truth  and  to  insist  that 
real  faith  will  always  be  manifest  in  conduct  which  is  con- 
sistent with  the  law  and  love  of  Christ. 

James  introduces  the  discussion  by  the  question: 
"What  doth  it  profit,  my  brethren,  if  a  man  say  he  hath 
faith,  but  have  not  works?  can  that  faith  save  him?" 
The  answer  implied  is  that  such  faith  cannot  save;  it 
is  not  true  faith.  James  shows  that  it  is  not  true  by  a  com- 
parison. He  likens  such  dead  faith  to  lifeless  love:  "If 
a  brother  or  sister  be  naked  and  in  lack  of  daily  food,  and 
one  of  you  say  unto  them,  Go  in  peace,  be  ye  warmed  and 
filled ;  and  yet  ye  give  them  not  the  things  needful  to  the 
body;  what  doth  it  profit?"  What,  indeed,  is  the  use 
of  charity  like  that?  Love  which  confines  itself  to  empty 
words,  to  cheap  advice,  to  pious  hopes,  is  not  worthy  the 
name.     "Even  so  faith,  if  it  have  not  works,  is  dead." 

James  further  proves  his  point  by  an  imaginary  chal- 
lenge: "Show  me  thy  faith  apart  from  thy  works."  That 
exposes  the  fallacy.  Without  works  there  is  no  possible 
way  of  proving  that  faith  exists.  Such  faith  is  a  phan- 
tom, a  dream,  a  delusion.  But,  one  who  truly  believes 
can  say  without  pride  yet  in  all  confidence,  "I  by  my  works 
will  show  thee  my  faith." 

To  show  further  the  vanity  of  a  faith  which  consists  in 
mere  intellectual  assent  to  truth,  James  takes  a  case  in 
point.  He  turns  to  some  Jew  who  plumes  himself  upon 
being  orthodox,  because  he  believes  in  the  unity  of  God, 
and  repeats  daily  the  formula  of  his  faith :  "Thou  believest 
that  God  is  one;  thou  doest  well ;  the  dem^ons  also  believe, 
and  shudder."  The  demons  are  quite  orthodox  in  their 
beliefs  and  probably  more  exact  in  their  knowledge  than 
most  mortals;  but  while  conscious  of  their  deserv^ed  doom 
and  of  their  rebellion  against  God,  their  knowledge  only 
adds  to  their  distress:  they  shudder.  Thus,  James  con- 
cludes, "faith  apart  from  works  is  barren." 

On  the  other  hand,  real  faith  necessarily  embodies  itself 
in  action.  The  faith  of  a  true  believer  will  be  indicated 
and  demonstrated  by  works.     To  establish  this  positive 


28  EPISTLE  OF  JAMES        James  2:  14-26 

side  of  his  argument  James  employs  two  examples.  The 
first  is  naturally  that  of  Abraham,  "the  father  of  the  faith- 
ful." When  he  was  subjected  to  the  supreme  test,  when 
he  was  asked  to  offer  up  Isaac  his  son  upon  the  altar,  his 
faith  was  found  to  be  genuine;  it  was  no  mere  assent  to  a 
creed,  it  was  a  faith  that  "wrought  with  his  works,  and  by 
works  was  faith  made  perfect."  Abraham  was  shown  to 
have  a  supreme  confidence  in  God,  a  matchless  submission 
to  his  will;  he  really  "believed  God,  and  it  was  reckoned 
unto  him  for  righteousness;  and  he  was  called  the  friend 
of  God."  So  it  is  by  works  that  a  man  is  shown  to  be  a 
true  believer,  James  declares,  and  not  by  a  mere  profession 
of  faith. 

The  second  illustration  is  that  of  Rahab.  She  also  was 
shown  by  her  works  to  be  sincere  in  her  faith.  At  the  risk 
of  her  life  she  hid  the  spies  who  entered  Jericho,  and  "sent 
them  out  another  way."  It  is  true  that  her  faith  was  not 
perfect;  she  was  guilty  of  falsehood  and  deception;  yet 
her  faith  was  remarkable,  and  it  was  genuine.  A  poor, 
sinful  woman  of  Canaan,  with  little  opportunity  for 
knowledge,  she  had  become  convinced  that  the  God  of 
Israel  was  the  living  and  true  God,  and  as  opportunity 
offered  of  serving  him,  she  imperiled  her  life  to  defend  his 
messengers.  The  result  was  that  she  was  saved;  she  was 
honored  as  a  heroine  in  the  Hebrew  annals;  she  became 
the  ancestress  of  Jesus  Christ.  Such  is  the  power  of  a 
living  faith.  On  the  other  hand:  "As  the  body  apart  from 
the  spirit  is  dead,  even  so  faith  apart  from  works  is  dead." 

The  days  of  dead  orthodoxy  are  not  gone;  there  are 
many  persons  whose  faith  consists  in  the  recital  of  creeds 
and  in  the  defense  of  dogmas,  many  who  need  to  be  re- 
minded that  "faith  apart  from  works  is  dead";  yet 
again,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  time  for  men  to  cease  propos- 
ing the  false  alternatives  of  "creed  or  character,"  "belief 
or  conduct,"  "doctrine  or  duty";  these  supposed  alterna- 
tives are  inseparable  as  causes  and  effects,  as  roots  and 
fruit.  When  creeds  are  living,  when  belief  is  sincere, 
when  doctrine  is  truly  accepted,  then  character  and  right 
conduct  and  the  performance  of  duty  are  sure  to  result. 
A  living  faith  does  save. 


James  3:1-12   CONTROL  OF  THE  TONGUE  29 


5.  Control  of  the  Tongue.     Ch.  3  : 1-12 

1  Be  not  many  of  you  teachers,  my  brethren,  knowing 
that  we  shall  receive  heavier  judgment.  2  For  in  many 
things  we  all  stumble.  If  any  stumbleth  not  in  word,  the 
same  is  a  perfect  man,  able  to  bridle  the  whole  body  also. 
3  Now  if  we  put  the  horses*  bridles  into  their  mouths  that 
they  may  obey  us,  we  turn  about  their  whole  body  also.  4 
Behold,  the  ships  also,  though  they  are  so  great  and  are 
driven  by  rough  winds,  are  yet  turned  about  by  a  very  small 
rudder,  whither  the  impulse  of  the  steersman  willeth.  5  So 
the  tongue  also  is  a  little  member,  and  boasteth  great  things. 
Behold,  how  much  wood  is  kindled  by  how  small  a  fire! 
6  And  the  tongue  is  a  fire:  the  world  of  iniquity  among  our 
members  is  the  tongue,  which  defileth  the  whole  body, 
and  setteth  on  fire  the  wheel  of  nature,  and  is  set  on  fire  by 
hell.  7  For  every  kind  of  beasts  and  birds,  of  creeping 
tilings  and  things  in  the  sea,  is  tamed,  and  hath  been  tamed 
by  mankind:  8  but  the  tongue  can  no  man  tame;  it  is  a 
restless  evil,  it  is  full  of  deadly  poison.  9  Therewith  bless  we 
the  Lord  and  Father;  and  therewith  curse  we  men,  who  are 
made  after  the  likeness  of  God:  10  out  of  the  same  mouth 
Cometh  forth  blessing  and  cursing.  My  brethren,  these 
things  ought  not  so  to  be.  11  Doth  the  fountain  send  forth 
from  the  same  opening  sweet  water  and  bitter?  12  can  a 
fig  tree,  my  brethren,  yield  olives,  or  a  vine  figs?  neither  can 
salt  water  yield  sweet. 

In  a  previous  passage  of  the  epistle,  James  has  exposed 
the  folly  of  imagining  oneself  to  be  religious  while  the 
tongue  is  uncontrolled.  It  is  natural,  therefore,  for  him  to 
enlarge  upon  this  theme,  after  setting  forth  the  vanity  of  a 
"faith"  which  expresses  itself  only  in  words  and  not  in 
works.  Those  most  tempted  to  such  self-deception  and 
to  such  dead  orthodoxy  are  teachers  of  religious  truth,  and 
it  is  such,  first  of  all,  who  are  in  the  mind  of  the  writer  as 
he  pens  this  searching  passage  on  the  sins  of  the  tongue. 
It  is  hardly  necessary  to  note  that  by  "the  tongue"  James 
means  the  gift  of  speech.  The  whole  paragraph  abounds 
in  figures  and  pictures.  We  see  the  horse  held  in  by  the 
bit,  the  ship  turned  by  the  touch  of  the  pilot,  the  forest  set 


I 


30  EPISTLE  OF  JAMES  James  3:  1-12 

aflame  by  the  smallest  spark,  venomous  beasts,  fruitful 
trees,  and  gushing  fountains.  It  is  a  striking  instance  of 
the  vivid  and  picturesque  style  of  the  writer;  but  it  sug- 
gests what  to  his  mind  was  the  importance  and  the 
power  of  human  speech.  While  he  dwells  on  the  evil 
possibilities  of  the  tongue,  he  nevertheless  has  in  mind  its 
possibilities  for  good.  Thus  when  he  warns  his  readers 
against  too  great  eagerness  to  be  teachers,  it  is  on  the 
ground  that  as  such  their  responsibility  is  greater;  but 
the  responsibility  is  greater  only  because  of  the  largeness 
of  their  opportunity  and  privilege.  Of  course  the  abuse 
of  such  privilege  involves  the  greater  guilt.  "Be  not 
many  of  you  teachers,  my  brethren,  knowing  that  we  shall 
receive  heavier  judgment."  Teachers  of  religious  truth 
are  sorely  needed;  theirs  is  the  highest  of  callings;  yet 
one  should  be  diffident  in  assuming  the  task  as  he  remem- 
bers that  "in  many  things  we  all  stumble."  The  right 
use  of  speech,  the  proper  control  of  the  tongue,  James 
declares,  is  a  proof  of  Christian  maturity,  whether  in  the 
case  of  a  teacher  or  a  hearer:  "If  any  stumbleth  not  in 
word,  the  same  is  a  perfect  man,  able  to  bridle  the  whole 
body  also."  This  point  he  illustrates  by  his  picture  of  the 
horse;  in  spite  of  its  spirit  and  strength  its  whole  body 
can  be  controlled  by  the  one  who  controls  the  bit.  The 
same  point  is  illustrated  by  the  ship:  even  though  its  size 
is  so  vast,  and  opposing  storms  are  so  fierce,  still  its  course 
is  easily  determined  by  the  one  who  holds  the  helm.  These 
two  pictures  illustrate  also  another  principle:  they  not 
only  show  how  one  who  controls  his  tongue  can  control  his 
whole  being,  but  also  that  if  the  tongue  is  given  control  it 
will  imperil  the  entire  life.  The  tongue  is  like  the  bit  and 
,  like  the  rudder.  "So  the  tongue  also  is  a  little  member, 
\/  and  boasteth  great  things."  It  boasts.  We  were  ready 
for  the  word  "directs"  or  "controls"  or  achieves,"  but  the 
word  "boasteth"  is  suggestive  of  e^-il  and  prepares  us  for 
the  following  description  of  perilous  power. 

As  a  single  spark  sets  fire  to  the  stately  forest,  so  one 
malicious  wordmay  bring  disaster  to  a  life  or  a  community. 
Thus  James  calls  the  tongue  "a  fire:  the  world  of  iniquity 
among   our    members    .    .    .    which    defileth    the   whole 


James  3:1-12     CONTROL  OF  THE  TONGUE  31 

body";  it  sets  ablaze  the  whole  round  of  our  existence 
and  our  being,  and  its  destructive  power  is  satanic:  it 
"is  set  on  fire  by  hell."  The  impossibility  of  bringing  it 
under  control  is  further  emphasized  by  comparison  with 
savage  and  venomous  animals:  "For  every  kind  of  beasts 
and  birds,  of  creeping  things  and  things  in  the  sea,  is 
tamed,  and  hath  been  tamed  by  mankind:  but  the  tongue 
can  no  man  tame."  Of  course  James  is  not  considering 
here  what  can  be  done  by  the  grace  and  Spirit  of  God. 
He  means  that  by  nature  the  gift  of  speech  is  less  com- 
monly brought  under  control  of  man,  than  are  the  fiercest 
of  the  beasts  about  him.  Like  such  beasts,  the  tongue  is 
restless,  unreliable,  treacherous;  like  a  serpent  it  is  armed 
with  venom,  "it  is  full  of  deadly  poison." 

Last  of  all  James  emphasizes  the  strange  perversity  and 
inconsistency  with  which  men  use  the  gift  of  speech. 
With  the  tongue  praises  are  offered  to  our  heavenly 
Father,  and  with  the  same  tongue  curses  are  pronounced 
upon  his  children  whom  he  has  created  in  his  own  image; 
"out  of  the  same  mouth  cometh  forth  blessing  and  curs- 
ing." "My  brethren,  these  things  ought  not  so  to  be." 
The  simplest  objects  in  the  world  about  us  rebuke  such  a 
practice  as  unnatural:  "Doth  the  fountain  send  forth  from 
the  same  opening  sweet  water  and  bitter?"  It  is  not  un- 
usual to  find  a  spring  the  water  of  which  is  brackish  and 
bitter,  but  who  ever  found  such  a  spring  which  at  the  same 
time  produced  water  which  was  sweet?  "Can  a  fig  tree, 
my  brethren,  yield  olives,  or  a  vine  figs?  neither  can  salt 
water  yield  sweet."  These  last  figures  contain  not  only 
a  rebuke  of  the  perverse  and  sinful  abuse  of  speech; 
they  also  suggest  the  probable  explanation  of  such  an 
abuse.  "The  tree  is  known  by  its  fruit,"  and  "out  of  the 
abundance  of  the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh."  An  evil 
tongue  is  a  sign  of  an  evil  nature.  Unkind,  bitter,  impure 
speech  suggests  the  need  of  a  new  birth;  it  is  an  indication 
that  the  speaker,  whatever  his  position  or  profession,  is 
not  filled  with  the  Spirit  of  God.  His  faith  is  dead,  his 
religion  is  not  true.  The  use  of  the  tongue  is  a  test  of 
life.  Unless  controlled  by  the  power  of  Christ,  the  gift 
of  speech  may  prove  a  deadly  peril  to  the  soul. 


32  EPISTLE  OF  JAMES        James  3: 13-18 


6.  False  and  True  Wisdom.    Ch.  3  :  13-18 

13  Who  is  wise  and  understanding  among  you?  let  him 
show  by  his  good  life  his  works  in  meekness  of  wisdom.  14 
But  if  ye  have  bitter  jealousy  and  faction  in  your  heart,  glory 
not  and  lie  not  against  the  truth.  15  This  wisdom  is  not 
a  wisdom  that  cometh  down  from  above,  but  is  earthly, 
sensual,  devilish.  16  For  where  jealously  and  faction  are, 
there  is  confusion  and  every  vile  deed.  17  But  the  wisdom 
that  is  from  above  is  first  pure,  then  peaceable,  gentle,  easy 
to  be  entreated,  full  of  mercy  and  good  fruits,  without  vari- 
ance, without  hypocrisy.  18  And  tJ^e  fruit  of  righteousness 
is  sown  in  peace  for  them  that  make  peace. 

The  churches  addressed  by  James  were  troubled  by  the 
contentions  of  self-appointed  teachers  who  were  proud  of 
boasted  knowledge,  who  were  fond  of  dispute,  who  were 
bitter  in  their  discussions,  who  were  more  eager  to  defeat 
their  opponents  than  to  establish  the  truth.  Having 
rebuked  their  evil  use  of  the  tongue,  James  suggests  that 
the  fault  is  due  to  their  evil  hearts,  and  that  their  vaunted 
wisdom,  judged  by  its  expression,  is  false  and  unreal. 
Unfortunately  the  persons  described  are  not  confined  to 
the  class  of  teachers  or  to  the  churches  of  the  first  century. 
The  spirit  here  reproved  is  manifested  to-day  by  many 
who  profess  to  know  Christ,  and  who  claim,  in  their  angry 
disputes,  to  be  defending  his  cause. 

"Who  is  wise  and  understanding  among  you?"  James 
does  not  intend  to  suggest,  by  his  question,  that  none  were 
such,  but  rather  to  challenge  those  who  had  been  loudest 
in  their  boasts,  "Let  him  show  by  his  good  life  his  works 
in  meekness  of  wisdom."  This  is  a  fair  test.  This  is  the 
main  point  of  the  epistle.  This  is  the  modern  demand  for 
reality  in  religion.  Let  faith  be  proved  by  deeds,  let 
wisdom  be  shown  by  works. 

In  mentioning  the  test  of  "meekness,"  James  does  not 
mean  to  advocate  weakness,  the  two  should  never  be 
associated.  Only  the  strong,  who  are  conscious  of  their 
power,  are  truly  meek;    the  insistence  here  is  upon  the 


James  3:13-18     FALSE  AND  TRUE  WISDOM  33 

modesty  which  is  the  mark  of  true  wisdom.  "But  if  ye 
have  bitter  jealousy  and  faction  in  your  heart,"  if  cruel 
envy  and  a  narrow  party  spirit  are  your  motives,  "glory 
not"  even  though  you  are  fighting  on  the  right  side,  even 
though  you  seem  to  have  scored  a  victory,  "and  lie  not 
against  the  truth,"  for  your  spirit  shows  your  boasted 
wisdom  to  be  false. 

The  character  of  this  false  "wisdom"  is  described  as 
being  not  "from  above";  it  does  not  have  its  source  in 
God.  It  is  "earthly,"  bounded  by  earthly  horizons,  in 
accordance  with  earthly  standards,  identified  with  earthly 
motives,  plainly  contradicting  the  claims  of  heavenly 
knowledge  and  revealed  truth;  it  is  "sensual,"  by  which  is 
meant  not  merely  fleshly,  but  unspiritual,  characterizing 
only  the  "natural  man"  uninfluenced  by  the  Spirit  of 
God,  and  so  proving  false  all  pretensions  of  divine  en- 
lightenment and  superior  knowledge;  it  is  "devilish," 
it  is  one  with  the  spirit  that  animates  demons.  It  may  be 
employed  in  discussing  religious  truth,  it  may  be  displayed 
in  defending  "orthodoxy,"  but  it  is  evidently  not  inspired 
by  the  Spirit  of  God;  no  matter  what  his  intellectual 
attainments,  no  one  should  pride  himself  upon  a  wisdom 
which  is  so  closely  allied  with  "the  world,  the  flesh,  and 
the  devil." 

The  result  of  this  false  wisdom  is  described  as  being 
utter  "confusion"  and  evil  of  every  kind;  for  heated  de- 
bates, proud  display  of  learning,  bitter  sarcasm,  lead  only 
to  discord  and  separations;  "for  where  jealousy  and 
faction  are,  there  is  confusion  and  every  vile  deed." 

In  striking  contrast,  James  describes  "the  wisdom  that 
is  from  above."  It  is  "first"  of  all  and  supremely  "pure," 
cleansed  from  all  stain  of  selfishness  and  dedicated  wholly 
to  the  service  of  God.  It  is  "then  peaceable" — not  at 
the  price  of  purity,  not  so  as  to  compromise  truth,  not  so 
as  to  countenance  evil — yet  not  quarrelsome,  not  conten- 
tious, not  desiring  to  dispute,  but  hungering  for  peace  even 
if  compelled  to  fight.  It  is  "gentle,"  not  always  insisting 
upon  its  rights,  considerate  of  others,  characterized  by 
"sweet  reasonableness."  It  is  "easy  tor  be  entreated," 
not  stubborn,  not  refusing  to  do  a  thing  because  it  has  been 


34  EPISTLE  OF  JAMES        James  3:  13-18 

suggested  by  another,  submissive,  tractable,  conciliatory. 
It  is  "full  of  mercy  and  good  fruits";  instead  of  envy  and 
hatred  it  is  characterized  by  compassion  and  love;  instead 
of  producing  bitterness  and  confusion  and  wrath,  its  fruit- 
age is  helpfulness,  and  kindness,  and  joy,  and  enlarging 
life.  It  is  "without  variance,"  which  probably  means 
"without  vacillation"  or  doubt  or  indecision  or  uncertainty, 
but  with  definiteness  of  conviction.  It  is  "without  hypoc- 
risy," it  needs  none;  it  has  nothing  to  hide,  it  makes  no 
pretense;  it  is  absolutely  honest  and  sincere.  Such  is  the 
heavenly  "wisdom,"  the  divine  understanding  which  God 
gives  to  those  who  really  trust  in  him.  Those  who  are 
thus  endowed,  those  who  in  contrast  with  the  lovers  of 
strife  are  makers  of  peace,  those  who  really  sow  the  seed 
of  peace,  are  preparing  no  harvest  of  evil  and  distress, 
but  the  blessed  and  peaceful  fruits  of  righteousness. 


James  4:  1-10         WORLDLY  LUSTS  35 


7.  Worldly  Lusts.     Ch.  4  :  1-10 

1  Whence  come  wars  and  whence  come  fightings  among 
you?  come  they  not  hence,  even  of  your  pleasures  that 
war  in  your  members?  2  Ye  lust,  and  have  not:  ye  kill, 
and  covet,  and  cannot  obtain:  ye  fight  and  war;  ye  have 
not,  because  ye  ask  not.  3  Ye  ask,  and  receive  not, 
because  ye  ask  amiss,  that  ye  may  spend  it  in  your  pleasures. 
4  Ye  adulteresses,  know  ye  not  that  the  friendship  of  the 
world  is  enmity  with  God?  Whosoever  therefore  would  be  a 
friend  of  the  world  maketh  himself  an  enemy  of  God.  5  Or 
think  ye  that  the  scripture  speaketh  in  vain?  Doth  the  spirit 
which  he  made  to  dwell  in  us  long  unto  envying?  6  But  he 
giveth  more  grace.  Wherefore  the  scripture  saith,  God 
resisteth  the  proud,  but  giveth  grace  to  the  humble.  7  Be 
subject  therefore  unto  God ;  but  resist  the  devil,  and  he  will 
flee  from  you.  8  Draw  nigh  to  God,  and  he  will  draw  nigh 
to  you.  Cleanse  your  hands,  ye  sinners;  and  purify  your 
hearts,  ye  doubleminded.  9  Be  afflicted,  and  mourn,  and 
weep:  let  your  laughter  be  turned  to  mourning,  and  your 
joy  to  heaviness.  10  Humble  yourselves  in  the  sight  of  the 
Lord,  and  he  shall  exalt  you. 

How  can  war  be  ended  forever?  How  eagerly  this 
question  is  being  asked  by  a  world  in  anguish,  and  what 
various  replies  are  being  made!  James  proposes  a  more 
profound  question:  "What  is  the  occasion  of  war." 
"W'hence  come  wars  and  whence  come  fightings  among 
you?"  Only  when  the  causes  are  removed  w^ill  w^ars  cease 
to  devastate  and  destroy.  These  causes,  James  intimates, 
may  be  found  in  the  selfishness  of  the  human  heart,  in  the 
desire  for  possessions  and  power,  and  in  worldly  lusts. 
It  is  probable  that  the  primary  reference  in  this  paragraph 
is  not  to  wars  between  nations,  but  to  the  strifes  and 
factions  in  the  Christian  Church  which  the  writer  has  been 
rebuking.  He  has  spoken  of  the  abuse  of  the  tongue  and 
has  exposed  the  false  wisdom  of  the  wrangling  teachers; 
he  now  traces  the  evils  to  their  source  and  shows  the  seri- 
ousness of  their  results.  The  latter  is  emphasized  by  the 
use  of  the  words  "wars"  and  "fightings"  which  are  con- 


36  EPISTLE  OF  JAMES  James  4:  1-10 

trasted  with  the  "peace"  of  true  wisdom  which  the  pre- 
ceding verse  has  set  forth.  These  "wars,"  whether  be- 
tween nations  or  individuals,  are  due  to  selfishness,  or,  as 
James  says  in  addressing  these  professed  Christians: 
"Come  they  not  hence,  even  of  your  pleasures  that  war 
in  your  members?"  By  "pleasures"  he  means  the  love 
of  sinful,  sensuous,  selfish  gratifications.  These  "lusts" 
encamp  in  our  bodily  members;  here  first  they  make 
themselves  felt,  and  thevse  are  the  instruments  they  first 
employ.  These  "lusts,"  these  unrestrained  cravings,  these 
covetous  desires,  may  grow  stronger  even  when  not  grati- 
fied, and  may  result  in  murder,  at  least  in  thought  if  not 
in  act,  in  envy,  in  fighting  and  war:  "Ye  lust,  and  have 
not:  ye  kill,  and  covet,  and  cannot  obtain:  ye  fight  and 
war."  Even  prayer  is  resorted  to  as  a  means  of  securing 
the  desired  satisfaction:  "Ye  have  not,  because  ye  ask 
not";  such  a  mere  travesty  upon  prayer  is  of  course 
unanswered.  "Ye  ask,  and  receive  not,  because  ye  ask 
amiss,  that  you  may  spend  it  in  your  pleasures" ;  such  is  a 
perversion  of  the  true  spirit  of  prayer  which  is  submission 
to  the  will  of  God;  here  the  desire  is  consciously  opposed  to 
his  will.  It  is  of  course  proper  to  pray  for  personal  bene- 
fits, if  these  are  innocent,  and  for  material  blessings  if  these 
are  needed ;  but  to  ask  for  help  in  gratifying  impure  or  sinful 
or  selfish  impulses  is  an  impertinence  and  an  insult  to  God. 
In  fact,  it  is  our  relation  to  God  as  professing  Christians 
that  suggests  the  more  serious  aspect  of  the  issue  of  our 
"worldly  lusts";  they  not  only  lead  us  to  fight  and  war 
against  our  fellow  men,  but  they  make  us  disloyal  to  God. 
This  disloyalty  is  expressed  under  the  Old  Testament 
figure  of  "adultery":  "Ye  adulteresses,  know  ye  not  that 
the  friendship  of  the  world  is  enmity  with  God?'*  To 
him  w^e  have  sworn  our  allegiance  and  our  fidelity;  if 
then  our  heart  is  given  to  "the  world"  of  lust  and  greed  and 
indulgence,  we  are  faithless  to  our  most  solemn  vows.  One 
must  choose  between  God  and  "the  world"  of  selfish  pleas- 
ures and  sin ;  a  preference  for  the  latter  is  open  hostility  to 
God:  "Whosoever  therefore  would  be  a  friend  of  the  world 
maketh  himself  an  enemy  of  God."  The  fault  is  all  the 
greater  because  of  God's  infinite  love  for  us.     As  a  husband 


James  4:  1-10  WORLDLY  LUSTS  37 

y 

can  brook  no  rival  for  the  affections  of  his  wife,  God  is 
jealous  for  the  individual  affection  of  his  people.  Love 
hungers  for  love.  Is  it  true  then,  of  any  of  us,  that  our 
affection  is  so  alienated  as  to  move  God  to  envy;  or 
that,  as  some  have  translated  the  phrase,  "the  Spirit 
which  he  made  to  dwell  in  us  jealously  yearns  for  the 
entire  devotion  of  the  heart?" 

"But  he  giveth  more  grace,"  that  is,  the  very  greatness 
of  his  love  leads  him  not  to  cast  us  off  for  our  unfaithful- 
ness, but  to  receive  and  to  forgive  us  when  we  turn  to 
him.  Yes,  this  infinite  love  enables  him  to  realize  how 
strong  are  the  attractions  which  draw  us  away,  and  to 
give  us  all  needed  grace  when  we  humbly  look  to  him  for 
help:  "God  resisteth  the  proud,  but  giveth  grace  to  the 
humble.  Be  subject  therefore  unto  God."  Do  not 
presume  upon  his  goodness;  do  not  weakly  yield  to 
temptation;  do  not  expect  him  to  keep  you  from  falling 
unless  you  are  resolute  in  your  determination  and  are 
bravely  fighting  against  sin.  All  theories  of  Christian 
experience  which  suggest  the  inactivity  of  the  human  will, 
and  prescribe  mere  submission  and  dependence  on  the 
part  of  the  believer,  are  dangerous.  "Resist  the  devil,  and 
he  will  flee  from  you.  Draw  nigh  to  God,  and  he  will  draw 
nigh  to  you."  Both  actions  and  attitudes  are  to  be  ours; 
neither  is  to  be  minimized  nor  neglected. 

So  common  is  our  unfaithfulness  that  we  may  well  heed, 
as  directed  to  us,  the  solemn  call  to  repentance  with  which 
the  paragraph  is  brought  to  a  close:  "Cleanse  your 
hands,  ye  sinners;  and  purify  your  hearts,  ye  double- 
minded";  let  us  separate  ourselves  from  all  sinful  alliances, 
let  us  cease  from  all  divided  allegiance  and  devotion. 
"Beafflicted,  and  mourn  and  weep":  not  because  religion 
is  a  matter  of  gloom  and  sadness,  but  because  we  are  too 
far  tempted  to  miss  its  real  joy  by  treating  our  sins  lightly 
and  failing  to  surrender  our  whole  hearts  to  God.  Some 
people  have  only  enough  religion  to  make  them  miserable. 
If  we  should  renounce  all  that  may  be  contrary  to  the  will 
of  God  if  we  should  make  him  the  center  of  our  affections, 
we  should  know  in  all  its  fullness  the  joy  of  his  salvation: 
"Humble  yourselves  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  and  he  shall 
exalt  you." 


38  EPISTLE  OF  JAMES       James  4:  11,  12 


8.  Censoriousness.    Ch.  4:11,  12 

11  speak  not  one  against  another,  brethren.  He  that 
speaketh  against  a  brother,  or  judgeth  his  brother,  speaketh 
against  the  law,  and  judgeth  the  law:  but  if  thou  judgest  the 
law,  thou  art  not  a  doer  of  the  law,  but  a  judge.  12  One 
only  is  the  lawgiver  and  judge,  even  he  who  is  able  to  save 
and  to  destroy:  but  who  art  thou  that  judgest  thy  neighbor? 

In  reading  these  words  we  are  at  once  reminded  of  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount:  "Judge  not,  that  ye  be  not  judged. 
.  .  .  And  why  beholdest  thou  the  mote  that  is  in  thy 
brother's  eye,  but  considerest  not  the  beam  that  is  in  thine 
own  eye?";  or  we  recall  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans:  "But 
thou,  why  dost  thou  judge  thy  brother?  .  .  .for  we  shall 
all  stand  beforethe  judgment-seat  of  God."  But  not  only 
do  they  reflect  the  teachings  of  Jesus  and  of  Paul ;  they  are 
also  vitally  related  to  what  has  been  said  by  James. 
He  has  rebuked  the  abuse  of  the  tongue  which  is  employed 
in  criticizing  our  brethren;  he  has  exposed  the  pride  of 
false  "wisdom"  which  leads  us  to  form  unjust  judgments; 
he  has  rebuked  the  selfish  desires  which  result  in  "wars" 
and  contention  and  which  make  us  untrue  to  God;  he 
now  warns  us  against  censoriousness  as  usurping  the  place 
of  God  as  lawgiver  and  judge. 

"Speak  not  one  against  another,"  We  cannot  avoid 
forming  opinions  of  our  fellow  men,  but  these  should  not 
be  unjust  or  unkind;  and,  whether  good  or  bad,  opinions 
need  not  always  be  expressed.  It  is  the  love  of  finding  fault 
which  James  here  rebukes.  It  is  the  same  sin  which  is 
censured  by  Jesus  and  by  Paul,  but  the  condemnation  is  on 
difi"erent  grounds.  Jesus  intimates  the  folly  of  finding 
fault  with  those  who  are  probably  much  better  than  our- 
selves; Paul  censures  the  presumption  of  correcting  one 
who  is  not  your  servant  and  who  must  answer  to  the  divine 
Master  to  whom  he  belongs;  James  argues  that  evil- 
speaking  and  censoriousness  invoh^e  a  breach  of  the  law, 
an  actual  repudiation  of  the  law:    "He  that  speaketh 


James  4:  11,  12         CENSORIOUSNESS  39 

against  a  brother,  or  judgeth  his  brother,  speaketh  against 
the  law,  and  judgeth  the  law."  Of  course  the  law  to  which 
James  refers  is  the  law  of  love,  "the  royal  law,"  "thou  shalt 
love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself."  One  who  is  unkind  in  his 
criticisms  not  only  breaks  this  law,  but  he  condemns  it 
as  too  high  in  its  requirements  or  as  unwise  or  unnecessary; 
he  says  in  effect  that  he  is  superior  to  the  law  of  love; 
he  seems  to  argue  that  while  it  may  be  a  good  law  for  some 
people  at  some  times,  a  superior  person  like  himself  cannot 
be  bound  by  it,  particularly  in  this  imperfect  world  where 
some  people  need  to  be  disciplined  by  his  severe  rebukes 
and  punished  by  his  stinging  tongue.  James  intimates 
that,  to  say  the  least,  it  is  better  to  keep  the  law  of  love 
than  to  try  to  find  exceptions  to  its  universal  obligation. 
Most  serious  of  all,  such  an  attitude  toward  the  law  and 
toward  other  persons  as  is  involved  in  censoriousness  is 
invading  the  rights  and  prerogatives  of  God;  he  alone  is 
the  source  of  law,  he  alone  is  qualified  to  condemn  men: 
"One  only  is  the  lawgiver  and  judge" ;  he  allows  no  one  to 
cancel  his  laws  or  to  debate  his  decisions.  The  right  is 
based  upon  his  unique  power;  he  "is  able  to  save  and  to 
destroy";  he  who  can  determine  the  fate  of  immortal 
souls  is  qualified  to  pronounce  sentence  upon  them. 

By  way  of  contrast,  James  asks,  "But  who  art  thou  that 
judgest  thy  neighbor?"  What  superior  virtue,  power, 
holiness,  wisdom  do  you  possess?  A  humble  searching  of 
our  own  hearts  removes  all  eagerness  to  criticize  and  con- 
demn others.  "Love  covereth  a  multitude  of  sins"; 
love  "beareth  all  things";  "love  sufi"ereth  long,  and  is 
kind." 


40  EPISTLE  OF  JAMES       James  4: 13-17 


9.  Self-Confidence.     Ch.  4  :  13-17 

13  Come  now,  ye  that  say,  To-day  or  to-morrow  we  will 
go  into  this  city,  and  spend  a  year  there,  and  trade,  and 
get  gain:  14  whereas  ye  know  not  what  shall  be  on  the  mor- 
row. What  is  your  life?  For  ye  are  a  vapor  that  appeareth 
for  a  little  time,  and  then  vanisheth  away.  15  For  that  ye 
ought  to  say.  If  the  Lord  will,  we  shall  both  live,  and  do  this 
or  that.  16  But  now  ye  glory  in  your  vauntings:  all  such 
glorying  is  evil.  17  To  him  therefore  that  knoweth  to  do 
good,  and  doeth  it  not,  to  him  it  is  sin. 

James  has  just  condemned  the  selfish,  worldly  spirit 
which  manifests  itself  in  "wars  and  fightings,"  and  also 
the  presumption  which  takes  the  place  of  God  in  pro- 
nouncing judgment  upon  our  fellow  men.  These  are  close- 
ly related  to  the  false  confidence  in  which  we  make  plans 
for  the  future  with  no  thought  of  God.  As  he  now  turns 
to  rebuke  such  godless  conceit,  James  rehearses  the 
imaginary  w^ords  of  certain  Jewish  traders  who  are  per- 
fecting their  schemes  for  a  coming  year:  "Come  now,  ye 
that  say.  To-day  or  to-morrow  we  will  go  into  this  city, 
and  spend  a  year  there,  and  trade,  and  get  gain."  Every 
step  is  detailed  with  absolute  assurance,  no  suggestion  is 
made  of  divine  providence,  no  thought  is  entertained  as  to 
the  will  of  God.  "To-day  or  to-morrow"  are  regarded  as 
alike  completely  within  their  power;  the  journey  to  the 
city  selected  is  certain  to  be  safe:  the  year  is  quite  at  their 
disposal;  neither  sickness  nor  disaster  can  possibly  come; 
the  business  venture  is  sure  to  be  prosperous;  such  seem 
to  be  the  thoughts  of  these  confident  merchants,  and  their 
spirit  is  too  commonly  reflected  by  the  professed  followers 
of  Christ.  We  are  all  tempted  to  regard  the  future  with 
presumptuous  assurance.  We  all  need  to  be  reminded  of 
the  words  of  James:  "Whereas  ye  know  not  what  shall  be 
on  the  morrow.  What  is  your  life?  For  ye  are  a  vapor 
that  appeareth  for  a  little  time,  and  then  vanisheth  away." 
Not  that  it  is  wrong  to  make  plans,  not  that  it  is  wrong  to 


James  4:  13-17       SELF-CONFIDENCE  41 

engage  in  business,  not  that  it  is  wrong  to  expect  "gain"; 
but  the  uncertain  tenure  of  life,  the  mystery  of  the  future, 
the  knowledge  that  God  has  for  each  of  us  a  purpose  and  a 
plan,  should  make  us  conscious  of  our  dependence  upon 
him,  and  eager  to  know  and  to  do  his  will:  "For  that  ye 
ought  to  say.  If  the  Lord  will,  we  shall  both  live,  and  do  this 
or  that."  James  does  not  mean  that  the  expressions, 
"Please  God"  or  "The  Lord  willing,"  should  continually 
be  on  our  lips;  that  might  be  mere  formalism  or  cant; 
but  the  truth  of  God's  providence,  the  belief  that  life  and 
its  blessings  are  his  gifts,  the  reverent  conviction  that  the 
future  is  wholly  within  his  power,  should  so  mold  all  our 
thinking  that  self-confidence  and  presumption  would  be 
impossible.  On  the  contrary,  to  forget  God,  to  plan 
with  no  thought  of  him  to  regard  the  future  with  boastful 
assurance,  is  not  only  foolish,  it  is  wicked:  "But  now  ye 
glory  in  your  vauntings;  all  such  glorying  is  evil."  James 
concludes  the  paragraph  by  referring  to  a  principle  of  wide 
scope  and  great  importance:  "To  him  therefore  that 
knoweth  to  do  good,  and  doeth  it  not,  to  him  it  is  sin." 
It  is  not  only  wrong  to  perform  an  act  which  we  know  to 
be  contrary  to  the  will  of  God,  or  about  which  we  are  un- 
certain ;  it  is  also  wrong  to  fail  to  do  what  we  know  to  be 
the  will  of  God.  It  does  not  make  life  burdensome  or 
gloomy,  but  it  fills  it  with  joy  and  satisfaction,  when  in 
all  its  choices  and  crises  we  can  say  from  the  heart:  "If 
the  Lord  will,  we  shall  both  live,  and  do  this  or  that." 
Surely  "in  his  will  is  our  peace." 


42  EPISTLE  OF  JAMES  James  5: 1-6 


10.  The  Doom  of  the  Oppressor.    Ch.  5  1 1-6 

1  Come  now,  ye  rich,  weep  and  howl  for  your  miseries 
that  are  coming  upon  you.  2  Your  riches  are  corrupted,  and 
your  garments  are  moth-eaten.  3  Your  gold  and  your  silver 
are  rusted;  and  their  rust  shall  be  for  a  testimony  against 
you,  and  shall  eat  your  flesh  as  fire.  Ye  have  laid  up  your 
treasure  in  the  last  days.  4  Behold,  the  hire  of  the  laborers 
who  mowed  your  fields,  which  is  of  you  kept  back  by  fraud, 
crieth  out:  and  the  cries  of  them  that  reaped  have  entered 
into  the  ears  of  the  Lord  of  Sabaoth.  5  Ye  have  lived  delicately 
on  the  earth,  and  taken  your  pleasure;  ye  have  nourished 
your  hearts  in  a  day  of  slaughter.  6  Ye  have  condemned, 
ye  have  killed  the  righteous  one ;  he  doth  not  resist  you. 

It  is  easy  to  criticize  the  rich,  and  in  some  quarters  it 
is  always  popular  to  denounce  men  of  wealth.  It  must  be 
remembered,  however,  that  no  sin  is  involved  in  the 
possession  of  money  and  that  there  is  no  virtue  in  being 
poor.  Wealth  has  peculiar  temptations  and  grave  re- 
sponsibilities; yet  not  all  rich  persons  are  to  be  condemned 
or  to  be  under  suspicion.  If  poverty  is  voluntarily  assumed, 
it  should  be  for  some  good  purpose.  As  to  riches, 
two  questions  should  be  asked:  How  are  they  secured? 
How  are  they  used?  The  persons  whom  James  condemned 
were  guilty  on  both  these  counts.  They  may  have  been 
Christians,  or,  more  probably,  unconverted  Jews;  beyond 
doubt  they  belonged  to  a  class  with  which  we  are  all 
familiar  to-day.  They  had  amassed  their  wealth  by  fraud 
and  cruelty;  they  were  spending  it  in  selfish  luxury. 

Upon  such  James  pronounces  a  solemn  doom,  as  he 
warns  them  that  the  coming  of  Christ  may  be  near: 
"Come  now,  ^^e  rich,  weep  and  howl  for  3^our  miseries  that 
are  coming  upon  you."  Their  folly  appears  in  the  heaping 
together  of  unused  wealth;  if  it  consists  of  products  of  the 
earth,  it  will  corrupt;  if  in  garments,  they  will  be  eaten 
by  moths;  if  in  precious  metals,  they  will  tarnish  and  rust; 
its  rapid  decay  is  a  fit  symbol  of  the  swift  destruction  of  its 
owners.      Their    folly  is   seen  further  in   the   fact   that 


James  5:1-6      DOOM  OF  THE  OPPRESSOR  43 

their  struggle  for  wealth  is  made  under  the  shadow  of 
approaching  doom:  "Ye  have  laid  up  your  treasure  in  the 
last  days."  The  possibility  that  the  return  of  Christ 
might  be  near,  like  the  fact  of  the  brevity  and  uncertainty 
of  life,  should  be  a  warning  against  the  worldly  spirit  which 
in  the  previous  paragraph  led  to  presumptuous  plans  for 
the  future,  and  which  here  is  expressed  in  amassing  wealth 
which  the  owners  never  can  enjoy. 

These  rich  men,  however,  are  guilty  not  only  of  folly 
but  also  of  sin.  Their  wealth  has  been  secured  by  injus- 
tice: "Behold,  the  hire  of  the  laborers  who  mowed  your 
fields,  which  is  of  you  kept  back  by  fraud,  crieth  out." 
This  is  the  crime  of  oppressors  in  all  ages,  refusing  a 
fair  wage,  keeping  back  what  has  been  earned  by  the  em- 
ployees whose  toil  has  secured  the  wealth  the  employers 
enjoy.  This,  supremely,  occasions  "the  social  question." 
Such  injustice  is  related  to  other  forms  of  cruelty;  "Ye 
have  condemned,  ye  have  killed  the  righteous  one;  he 
doth  not  resist  you."  It  was  easy  for  the  wealthy  to  con- 
trol the  processes  of  law  for  condemning  and  defrauding 
the  helpless  poor;  the  latter  were  being  "killed"  not 
necessarily  with  the  sword,  butbylackof  food  and  improper 
conditions  of  labor  and  by  the  crushing  monotony  of 
ceaseless  toil;  but  the  silent  appeal  of  their  patient  help- 
lessness was  unheeded.  The  rich  oppressors  were  deaf  to 
all  entreaties.  They  were  too  much  occupied  in  their  own 
enjoyments  to  know  the  very  conditions  which  existed. 
Their  sin  consisted  not  only  in  the  injustice  by  which 
their  wealth  was  secured,  but  in  the  prodigal  luxury  in 
which  it  was  spent:  "Ye  have  lived  delicately  on  the  earth, 
and  taken  your  pleasure."  There  was  One,  however,  who 
heard  the  moaning  of  the  helpless  sufferers:  their  cries 
"have  entered  into  the  ears  of  the  Lord  of  Sabaoth." 
The  guilty  oppressors  are  like  sheep,  fattening  themselves 
for  slaughter;  the  Lord  of  Hosts  soon  will  lay  bare  his 
arm.     Doom  is  certain. 


44  EPISTLE  OF  JAMES  James  5: 7-11 


11.  Patience  in  Suffering.     Ch.  5  :  7-11 

7  Be  patient  therefore,  brethren,  until  the  coming  of  the 
Lord.  Behold,  the  husbandman  waiteth  for  the  precious 
fruit  of  the  earth,  being  patient  over  it,  until  it  receive  the 
early  and  latter  rain.  8  Be  ye  also  patient;  establish  your 
hearts:  for  the  coming  of  the  Lord  is  at  hand.  9  Murmur 
not,  brethren,  one  against  another,  that  ye  be  not  judged: 
behold,  the  judge  standeth  before  the  doors.  10  Take, 
brethren,  for  an  example  of  suffering  and  of  patience,  the 
prophets  who  spake  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  1 1  Behold,  we 
call  them  blessed  that  endured :  ye  have  heard  of  the  patience 
of  Job,  and  have  seen  the  end  of  the  Lord,  how  that  the  Lord 
is  full  of  pity,  and  merciful. 

The  suffering  by  which  the  readers  were  being  tried  was 
caused  by  cruel  oppression,  especially  on  the  part  of 
employers.  Under  these  conditions  employees  are  tempted 
to  words  and  deeds  unworthy  of  Christians.  While  every 
lawful  effort  should  be  made  to  better  conditions  and  to 
secure  justice  for  themselves  and  others,  nevertheless, 
under  even  the  most  cruel  treatment,  believers  must 
manifest  a  spirit  of  patient  endurance. 

The  motive  to  which  James  appeals  is  the  expectation 
of  the  speedy  return  of  Christ:  "Be  patient  therefore, 
brethren,  until  the  coming  of  the  Lord."  Many  wrongs 
may  be  righted,  many  social  customs  may  be  improved, 
before  the  visible  reappearing  of  the  Saviour,  but  his  com- 
ing is  "the  blessed  hope,"  both  for  the  Church  and  the 
world;  then  justice  will  be  meted  out  to  oppressor  and 
oppressed;  then  will  begin  an  age  of  righteousness  and 
peace. 

The  illustration  suggested  by  the  writer  is  that  of  a 
farmer  who,  after  planting  the  seed,  waits  for  the  early 
rain  in  the  fall  and  the  "latter  rain"  in  the  spring  and  so 
for  the  ripened  harvest:  "Be  ye  also  patient;  establish 
your  hearts:  for  the  coming  of  the  Lord  is  at  hand." 
Meanwhile,  their  grievous  sufferings  must  not  make  them 
fretful  and  complaining  and  unforgiving  in  their  relations 


James  5:  7-11     PATIENCE  IN  SUFFERING  45 

with  fellow  Christians;  at  his  coming  the  Lord  will  bring 
judgment  upon  them  as  well  as  vengeance  upon  their 
enemies.  They  might  also  be  encouraged  by  the  example 
of  ancient  prophets  and  saints  who  testified  and  suffered 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord:  "Behold,  we  call  them  blessed 
that  endured."  They  are  reminded  in  particular  of  Job; 
he  was  not  very  patient,  if  by  patience  we  mean  freedom 
from  complaint  and  irritation  and  anger,  but  here  the 
thought  is  of  steadfast  "endurance,"  the  quahty  of  in- 
vincible faith  in  God;  this  Job  possessed,  and  his  whole 
life  story  is  an  illustration  of  how,  in  the  end,  the  Lord 
always  shows  his  pity  and  mercy  and  vindicates  his 
justice  and  his  love  toward  those  that  trust  and  "wait  for" 
him. 


46  EPISTLE  OF  JAMES  James  5:  12     | 


12.  Profanity.     Ch.  5  :  12 

12  But  above  all  things,  my  brethren,  swear  not,  neither 
by  the  heaven,  nor  by  the  earth,  nor  by  any  other  oath: 
but  let  your  yea  be  yea,  and  your  nay,  nay;  that  ye  fall  not 
under  judgment. 

Profane  swearing  is  one  of  the  worst  and  most  senseless 
of  sins ;  yet,  possibly  it  is  as  prevalent  to-day  as  at  any  time 
since  James  wrote  these  lines.  It  would  be  interesting 
to  study  the  philosophy  or  the  psychology  of  swearing. 
The  practice  may  spring  from  a  desire  for  emphasis, 
particularly  when  one  is  provoked  and  seeks  to  express 
disapproval  and  disgust.  This  explanation  may  account 
for  the  connection  in  which  these  words  are  found.  James 
has  just  referred  to  the  cruel  oppression  of  the  rich  and 
powerful,  and  to  their  unjust  treatment  of  Christians; 
he  now  insists  that  under  even  such  provocation  one  is  not 
to  take  the  name  of  the  Lord,  our  God,  in  vain,  or  to  dis- 
obey the  strict  injunction  of  Jesus  Christ:  "Swear  not  at 
all."  The  exact  words  of  our  Lord  were  undoubtedly  in 
mind  and  were  quoted  in  part  by  James.  The  question 
has  often  been  raised  whether  the  reference  here  includes 
the  prohibition  of  oaths  in  courts  of  law;  it  would  seem, 
from  the  practice  of  Paul,  of  Jesus  before  his  judges,  of  the 
early  Church,  and  of  the  Old  Testament  requirements, 
that  legal  oaths  are  not  here  in  mind ;  however,  it  must  be 
admitted  that  even  such  swearing  is  a  concession  to  the 
dishonesty  and  incredulity  of  men — it  would  not  be 
necessary  in  an  ideal  society;  yet,  as  its  aim  is  to  secure 
veracity  and  to  defend  truth,  its  practice  may  hasten  the 
day  when  "yea"  and  "nay"  will  suffice  to  establish  legal 
testimony.  Surely  the  use  of  the  divine  name  to  express 
irritation  and  anger  or  to  strengthen  ordinary  affirmation 
of  speech,  is  not  only  frivolous  and  foolish,  but  irreverent 
and  sinful;  it  brings  one  "under  judgment."  It  can  usual- 
ly be  corrected  by  that  which  underlies  the  keeping  of  all 
law,  namely,  truer  love  to  God  and  to  men. 


James  5:  13-18      PRAYER  FOR  THE  SICK  47 


13.  The  Prayer  for  the  Sick.  Ch.  5  :  13-18 
13  Is  any  among  you  suffering?  let  him  pray.  Is  any  cheer- 
ful? let  him  sing  praise.  14  Is  any  among  you  sick?  let  him 
call  for  the  elders  of  the  church;  and  let  them  pray  over 
him,  anointing  him  with  oil  in  the  name  of  the  Lord:  15  and 
the  prayer  of  faith  shall  save  him  that  is  sick,  and  the  Lord 
shall  raise  him  up;  and  if  he  have  committed  sins,  it  shall  be 
forgiven  him.  16  Confess  therefore  your  sins  one  to  an- 
other, and  pray  one  for  another,  that  ye  may  be  healed. 
The  supplication  of  a  righteous  man  availeth  much  in  its 
working.  17  Elijah  was  a  man  of  like  passions  with  us,  and 
he  prayed  fervently  that  it  might  not  rain;  and  it  rained  not 
on  the  earth  for  three  years  and  six  months.  18  And  he 
prayed  again;  and  the  heaven  gave  rain,  and  the  earth 
brought  forth  her  fruit. 

This  difficult  but  helpful  passage  is  Introduced  with  a 
possible  reference  to  the  verse  which  precedes;  not  pro- 
fanity but  prayer  and  praise  are  the  proper  expressions  of 
emotion:  "Is  any  among  you  suffering,"  in  body  or  mind 
or  estate?  "let  him  pray.  Is  any  cheerful?  let  him  sing 
praise."  Worship  which  consists  in  prayer  and  praise, 
worship,  whether  in  private  or  public,  is  the  channel  by 
which  our  excited  feelings  are  to  be  given  an  outlet. 
Whenever  the  mind  is  violently  agitated,  the  most  rational 
relief  will  be  found  in  an  act  of  worship;  above  all,  in 
times  of  distress  our  recourse  should  be  to  prayer. 

One  of  the  most  common  occasions  of  distress  is  that  of 
sickness.  James  mentions  this  as  a  specific  case  in  which 
believers  are  to  seek  relief  in  prayer,  and  his  words  form 
the  famous  passage  on  "prayer  and  bodily  healing": 
"Is  any  among  you  sick?  let  him  call  for  the  elders  of  the 
church;  and  let  them  pray  over  him,  anointing  him  with 
oil  in  the  name  of  the  Lord:  and  the  prayer  of  faith  shall 
save  him  that  is  sick,  and  the  Lord  shall  raise  him  up;  and 
if  he  have  committed  sins,  it  shall  be  forgiven  him.*'  In 
reference  to  a  passage  so  much  debated  it  would  be  foolish 
to  speak  v.'Ith  dogmatic  assurance.  A  few  suggestions, 
however,  may  be  of  help. 


48  EPISTLE  OF  JAMES        James  5: 13-18 

1.  The  use  of  oil  as  a  medicine,  and  its  application  in 
cases  of  disease,  has  been  familiar  in  all  ages;  and  it  is  a 
sufficiently  satisfactory  interpretation  of  these  verses  to 
say  that  they  prescribe,  in  the  case  of  bodily  sickness, 
prayer  and  the  use  of  simple  remedies. 

2.  It  may  be,  however,  that  sending  for  "elders"  in- 
stead of  a  "beloved  physician"  and  the  anointing  with 
oil  "in  the  name  of  the  Lord,"  point  to  the  regulated  exer- 
cise of  the  miraculous  "gift  of  healing"  which  undoubtedly 
was  granted  to  the  early  Church,  but  which,  like  the  gifts 
of  "tongues"  and  "prophecy,"  and  "immunity  from  deadly 
poisons,"  no  longer  exists. 

3.  The  emphasis  is  on  "the  prayer  of  faith,"  and  pos- 
sibly the  "oil"  is  a  symbol  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  by  whom  the 
cure  was  to  be  effected;  the  faith  of  the  sufferer  would  be 
strengthened  by  the  use  of  the  familiar  remedy,  and,  as 
his  sins  seem  to  have  been  connected  with  the  cause 
of  his  disease,  he  would  be  reminded  of  the  cleansing  and 
healing  power  of  the  Spirit  of  God. 

4.  There  is  no  reference  here  to  "extreme  unction" ;  this 
is  designed  to  prepare  the  soul  for  death;  the  anointing 
by  "the  elders"  was  intended  to  restore  the  body  to 
health. 

5.  Here  the  confession  of  sins  was  not  to  a  priest  or  to  an 
elder  alone,  but  to  any  fellow  Christian:  "Confess  there- 
fore your  sins  one  to  another,  and  pray  one  for  another, 
that  ye  may  be  healed." 

6.  In  all  modern  uses  of  the  passage  care  should  be 
taken  to  distinguish  between  "the  prayer  of  faith,"  and 
such  beliefs  and  practices  as  are  associated  with  "Chris- 
tian Science,"  "Mental  Healing,"  or  "Faith  Healing." 
"Christian  Science"  is  in  conflict  with  physical  science  in 
its  views  of  matter,  of  pain,  of  disease,  and  of  death;  it 
contradicts  Christianity  in  denying  the  incarnation,  the 
death,  and  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ.  "Mental 
Healing"  may  be  quite  independent  of  any  religious  belief 
or  on  the  other  hand  it  may  be  united  with  Christian  faith ; 
but  it  operates  according  to  the  scientific  law  of  "the 
effect  of  mind  upon  matter."  Its  greatest  failures  are  due 
to  neglecting  the  complementary  principle  of  "the  effect 


M 


James  5:  13-18      PRAYER  FOR  THE  SICK  49 

of  matter  upon  mind."  "Faith  Healing"  forbids  the  use 
of  all  physical  means,  and  any  employment  of  physical 
science  in  the  treatment  of  disease.  Its  advocates  are 
devout  and  sincere  and  intelligent  Christians.  It  is  a 
mistake  to  confuse  them  with  "Christian  Scientists,"  or 
"Mental  Healers."  Their  errors  consist  in  the  belief 
that  the  use  of  natural  means  is  dishonoring  to  God;  in 
their  exclusive  claim  of  "spiritual  healing,"  when  in  reality 
a  cure  effected  by  a  physician  or  surgeon  might  as  truly  be 
"spiritual,"  accomplished  by  the  power  and  guidance  of 
the  Spirit  of  God;  in  their  oblivion  to  the  fact  that  the 
cures  in  which  they  rejoice  are  effected  by  the  use  of  means, 
namely,  by  means  of  mental  suggestion  made  by  their 
prayers  and  their  anointings. 

7.  "The  prayer  of  faith"  is  offered  in  the  assurance  that 
God  can  work  with  or  without  means  known  to  man,  but 
in  the  belief  that  all  wise  remedies  should  be  employed, 
while  the  trust  is  in  God,  and  while  the  will  is  submissive  to 
the  will  of  God.  The  faith  is  not  in  the  means,  but  in 
God  who  works  through  the  means.  In  the  whole  passage 
the  emphasis  is  upon  the  need  of  faith,  and  upon  the  power 
of  believing  prayer.  Thus  the  paragraph  closes  with  the 
example  of  Elijah,  at  whose  request  rain  was  given  or 
withheld.  The  fact  is  emphasized  that  he  was  "a  man  of 
like  passions  with  us"  we  need  not  wait  until  we  become 
perfect  before  we  pray;  yet  his  was  a  prayer  of  intense 
earnestness  and  triumphant  faith.  In  applying  the  truth 
of  this  paragraph  we  should  guard  against  the  employment 
of  prayer  without  means,  and  also  of  means  without 
prayer.  We  should  remember  that  the  other  equally 
famous  passage  of  this  epistle  insists  that  "faith  apart 
from  works  is  dead." 


50  EPISTLE  OF  JAMES       James  5: 19,  20 


14.  Saving  Souls.     Ch.  5  :  19,  20 

19  My  brethren,  if  any  among  you  err  from  the  truth,  and 
one  convert  him;  20  let  him  know,  that  he  who  converteth 
a  sinner  from  the  error  of  his  way  shall  save  a  soul  from 
death,  and  shall  cover  a  multitude  of  sins. 

The  last  message  of  the  epistle  is  vitally  related  to  the 
message  which  precedes.  There  we  were  concerned  with 
bodily  healing,  but  also  with  the  forgiveness  of  the  sins 
to  which  the  sickness  may  have  been  due;  here  we  are 
encouraged  to  have  a  part  in  the  healing  of  souls;  but  while 
in  the  former  case  we  were  concerned  with  those  who  felt 
their  need,  here  we  are  encouraged  to  seek  for  those  who 
may  be  ignorant  of  their  danger  or  indifferent  to  their 
peril.  The  case  is  that  of  one  who  has  gone  astray;  he 
has  erred  "from  the  truth,"  not  vso  much  in  the  matter  of 
belief  as  of  practice.  To  bring  him  back  again  to  the  right 
path  will  "save  a  soul  from  death,"  and  "cover  a  multitude 
of  sins."  In  such  saving  work  every  follower  of  Christ 
may  be  engaged.  Surely  we  shall  need  to  resort  anew,  as 
in  the  cases  of  physical  healing,  to  the  "prayer  of  faith"; 
surely  there  must  be  in  our  own  religious  experiences  that 
reality  upon  which  the  epistle  everywhere  insists;  surely, 
we  must  seek  "the  wisdom  that  is  from  above"  which  is 
"first  pure,  then  peaceable,  gentle,  easy  to  be  entreated, 
full  of  mercy  and  good  fruits,  without  variance,  without 
hypocrisy." 


FIRST  EPISTLE  OF  PETER  51 


THE    FIRST    EPISTLE    OF 

PETER 

Who  does  not  know  Simon  Peter,  and  who  has  not  found 
in  him  a  kindred  spirit?  Brave,  impulsive,  confident, 
unstable,  affectionate  Peter!  Of  all  the  apostles  his 
career  is  most  vivid  in  memory,  his  character  is  most 
human  and  most  real. 

It  is  easy  to  imagine  his  early  life  as  a  fisherman  of 
Galilee,  or  to  picture  his  interest  in  the  preaching  of  the 
Baptist  and  his  first  meeting  with  Jesus,  or  to  recall  how 
he  left  his  boat  and  his  nets  to  become  a  fisher  of  men, 
how  he  entered  the  inner  circle  of  his  Master's  friends  and 
became  the  leader  and  spokesman  for  the  Twelve.  It  is 
not  difficult  to  sketch  the  scenes  where  he  attempts  to 
walk  on  the  water,  where  he  boldly  confesses  his  faith  in 
Christ,  where  he  speaks  bewildered  by  the  glory  of  the 
transfiguration,  where  he  protests  his  deathless  love,  where 
he  sleeps  in  the  Garden  and  awakes  to  attempt  the  rash 
defense  of  his  Lord  whom  he  then  forsakes  and  with  an 
oath  denies.  We  see  him  weeping  in  deep  penitence, 
running  to  the  empty  tomb,  meeting  the  risen  Saviour,  and 
later  receiving  a  new  commission  in  the  morning  twilight 
by  the  lake.  How  distinctly  we  remember  him  as  he 
speaks  to  the  trembling  multitudes  at  Pentecost,  heals  the 
lame  man  at  the  Beautiful  Gate,  boldly  faces  the  Jewish 
rulers,  meets  Cornelius  and  opens  the  Church  to  Gentile 
believers,  is  imprisoned  by  Herod  and  delivered  by  the 
angel,  bravely  defends  Christian  liberty  in  the  council  at 
Jerusalem  and  denies  it  in  principle  by  his  behavior  at 
Antioch. 

It  is  not  difficult  even  to  accept  the  shadowy  legends 
which  concern  his  later  life,  and  to  imagine  that  he 
preached  at  Rome,  that  as  he  attempted  to  escape  the 
rising  storm  of  persecution  he  met  his  Master  at  the  cit\ 
gate  and  asked  him  whither  he  was  going  ("Domine,  quo 
vadis"),  and  received  the  reply,  **I  go  to  Rome,  there  to  be 


52  FIRST  EPISTLE  OF  PETER 

crucified  once  more,"  that  he  turned  back  to  suffer  as  the 
Master  had,  only  with  his  head  downward  that  he  might 
endure  more  anguish  and  more  shame  than  his  Lord. 

It  may  require  more  effort,  however,  to  picture  Peter  as 
a  prominent  figure  in  the  world  of  literature,  and  to  re- 
member that  this  "unlettered  layman,"  as  the  rulers 
regarded  him,  was  one  of  the  authors  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, one  of  the  immortals  among  the  writers  of  the 
Christian  era,  and  to  recall  the  fact  that  his  abiding  influ- 
ence is  linked  to  the  two  epistles  which  bear  his  name. 

The  first  of  these  letters  was  written  to  Christians 
dwelling  in  portions  of  what  is  now  known  as  Asia  Minor. 
Many  of  these  readers  were  converts  from  Judaism  and 
Peter  writes  with  continual  reference  to  the  Old  Testa- 
ment; but  large  numbers  were  Gentiles  and  frequent 
mention  is  made  of  their  former  mode  of  life.  More  im- 
portant is  the  fact  that  all  these  converts  were  in  the  midst 
of  cruel  hardships  and  temptations.  They  were  not 
suffering  from  a  persecution  instituted  by  the  state  but 
from  social  ostracism,  and  from  the  enmity  of  fanatical 
Jews  and  hostile  pagans.  They  were  compelled  to  endure 
slander,  violence,  hatred,  suspicion,  loss  of  goods,  worldly 
ruin.  To  those  in  distress  and  trials  so  bitter  and  fiery 
Peter  writes  to  give  counsel  and  comfort,  to  strengthen 
faith  and  to  inspire  courage. 

This  is  an  epistle  of  hope.  It  points  the  believer  to  the 
blessed  issues  of  trial,  and  teaches  him  to  regard  present 
darkness  in  the  light  of  a  future  which  is  radiant  with  the 
visible  glory  of  Christ. 

It  is  composed  of  three  great  sections  which  emphasize 
successively  the  privileges,  the  duties,  and  the  trials  of  the 
readers.  The  presentation  is  intensely  practical.  The 
epistle  is  in  substance  a  threefold  series  of  earnest  exhorta- 
tions.    It  may  be  outlined  as  follows: 

L  The  Greeting.     I  Peter  1  :  1,  2. 

2.  The  Thanksgiving.     Ch.  1  :  3-12. 

3.  Exhortations  in  View  of  Special  Privileges.  Ch.  1 :  13  to  2:10. 

a.  Holiness.     Ch.  1  :  13-21. 

b.  Brotherly  Love.     Ch.  1  :  22-25. 

c.  Growth  as  the  People  of  God.     Ch.  2  :  1-10. 


FIRST  EPISTLE  OF  PETER  53 

4.  Exhortations  In  View  of  Special  Relations.  Ch.  2:llto4:ll. 

a.  Sojourners.     Ch.  2  :  11,  12. 

b.  Citizens.     Ch.  2  :  13-17. 

c.  Servants.     Ch.  2  :  18-25. 

d.  Wives  and  Husbands.     Ch.  3  :  1-7. 

e.  Innocent  Sufferers.     Ch.  3  :  8-22. 
/.  Opposed  by  Sinners.     Ch.  4  :  1-6. 

g.  Expecting  the  Coming  of  Christ.     Ch.  4  :  7-11. 

5.  Exhortations  in  View  of  Special  Trials.     Ch.  4:12  to  5:11. 

a.  Steadfastness.     Ch.  4  :  12-19. 

b.  Fidelity.     Ch.  5  :  1-4. 

c.  Humility,  Trust,  Vigilance,  Constancy.     Ch.  5  :  5-11. 

6.  The  Conclusion.     Ch.  5  :  12-14. 

a.  The  Bearer  and  Purpose  of  the  Letter.     Ch.  5  :  12. 

b.  The  Salutation  and  Benediction.     Ch.  5  :  13,  14. 


54  FIRST  PETER  I  Peter  1: 1, 2 


1.  The  Greeting.     I  Peter  1  :  1,  2 

1  Peter,  an  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  the  elect  who  are  so- 
journers of  the  Dispersion  iii  Pontus,  Galatia,  Cappadocia, 
Asia,  and  Bithynia,  2  according  to  the  foreknowledge  of  God 
the  Father,  in  sanctification  of  the  Spirit,  unto  obedience  and 
sprinkling  of  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ :  Grace  to  you  and  peace 
be  multiplied. 

One  need  not  feel  deeply  concerned  in  the  debate  as  to 
whether  the  Christian  converts  addressed  by  Peter  were 
Gentiles  or,  as  is  quite  probable,  Jews  by  birth.  What 
does  thrill  us  is  the  belief  that  the  blessings  attributed  to 
them  belong  to  us,  if  we  belong  to  Christ.  These  "so- 
journers of  the  Dispersion"  in  various  provinces  of  modern 
Asia  Minor,  are  called  "elect,"  a  term  which  was  used  to 
describe  all  believers;  they  were  the  chosen  people  of  God, 
the  special  objects  of  his  mercy  and  love,  and  this  election 
was  "according  to  the  foreknowledge  of  God  the  Father," 
and  due  therefore  to  his  deliberate  purpose.  The  very 
sphere  of  their  new  life  was  "sanctification."  The  Holy 
Spirit  set  them  apart  from  the  world  for  the  service  of  God 
and  imparted  to  them  his  holiness.  The  purpose  was  that 
they  should  obey  Christ  and  become  partakers  of  all  the 
benefits  secured  by  his  death.  For  these  believers  Peter 
voices  the  prayer:  "Grace  to  you  and  peace  be  multi- 
plied." 

So  it  is  true  of  all  Christians;  wherever  they  may  be 
scattered  abroad  throughout  the  earth,  they  form  one 
race,  in  virtue  of  a  new  and  divine  birth;  they  are  "so- 
journers," "pilgrims,"  and  "strangers,"  whose  citizenship 
is  in  heaven,  their  real  home.  They  owe  all  that  they  are 
to  the  providence  and  provision  of  God  who  sanctifies  them 
by  his  Spirit,  who  saves  them  by  the  work  of  his  Son. 
Thus,  in  the  opening  words  of  this  epistle,  Peter  sets  forth 
its  three  great  truths,  and  indicates  its  contents;  the  first 
section  deals  with  the  sanctification  of  the  Spirit,  the 
second  emphasizes  the  atoning  death  of  the  Son,  the  last 


I  Peter  1:  1,  2  THE  GREETING  55 

concerns  the  providence  of  the  Father.  Thus  too,  he 
intimates  that  the  salvation  secured  by  the  Father,  Son, 
and  Spirit,  involves  the  free  obedience  of  the  human  will 
and  the  offering  of  devoted  service.  Therefore  as  Chris- 
tians, chosen  by  the  Father,  sanctified  by  the  Spirit, 
redeemed  by  the  Son,  we  are  to  remember  with  humble 
gratitude  that  for  all  we  have  we  are  indebted  to  the 
mercy  of  God,  in  all  that  we  are  we  should  depend  upon 
the  sanctifying  influence  of  his  Spirit,  in  all  that  we  do  we 
should  seek  to  glorify  his  Son.  Then  we,  too,  may  expect 
that  in  our  experience  grace  and  peace  will  "be  multiplied." 


56  FIRST  PETER  I  Peter  1:3-12 


2.  The  Thanksgiving.    Ch.  1  : 3-12 

3  Blessed  be  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
who  accordmg  to  his  great  mercy  begat  us  again  unto  a  living 
hope  by  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ  from  the  dead,  4  unto 
an  inheritance  incorruptible,  and  undefiled,  and  that  fadeth 
not  away,  reserved  in  heaven  for  you,  5  who  by  the  power  of 
God  are  guarded  through  faith  unto  a  salvation  ready  to  be 
revealed  in  the  last  time.  6  Wherein  ye  greatly  rejoice, 
though  now  for  a  Uttle  while,  if  need  be,  ye  have  been  put 
to  grief  in  manifold  trials,  7  that  the  proof  of  your  faith, 
being  more  precious  than  gold  that  perisheth  though  it  is 
proved  by  fire,  may  be  found  unto  praise  and  glory  and  honor 
at  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ :  8  whom  not  having  seen  ye 
love;  on  whom,  though  now  ye  see  him  not,  yet  believing, 
ye  rejoice  greatly  with  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory:  9 
receiving  the  end  of  your  faith,  even  the  salvation  of  your 
souls.  10  Concerning  which  salvation  the  prophets  sought 
and  searched  diligently,  who  prophesied  of  the  grace  that 
should  come  unto  you:  11  searching  what  time  or  what 
manner  of  time  the  Spirit  of  Christ  which  was  in  them  did 
point  imto,  when  it  testified  beforehand  the  sufferings  of 
Christ,  and  the  glories  that  should  follow  them.  12  To 
whom  it  was  revealed,  that  not  unto  themselves,  but  unto  you, 
did  they  minister  these  things,  which  now  have  been  an- 
nounced unto  you  through  them  that  preached  the  gospel 
unto  you  by  the  Holy  Spirit  sent  forth  from  heaven;  which 
things  angels  desire  to  look  into. 

As  in  most  Jewish  letters  the  address  is  followed  by  a 
blessing.  In  the  former,  Peter  has  shown  that  our  salva- 
tion is  secured  by  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit;  he  now 
returns  thanks  for  this  salvation  as  certain  to  be  perfected 
in  the  future,  as  giving  courage  in  the  present,  as  having 
been  predicted  in  the  past.  In  pointing  his  readers  to  the 
future,  Peter  strikes  the  keynote  of  his  epistle.  It  is 
expressed  in  the  word  "hope":  "Blessed  be  the  God  and 
Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  according  to  his  great 
mercy  begat  us  again  unto  a  living  hope."  This  hope, 
which  is  mentioned  as  the  first  result  of  our  new  birth,  is 
defined  as  "living,"  not  only  in  contrast  with  the  deceitful 


I  Peter  1:3-12  THANKSGIVING  57 

and  perishing  hopes  of  earth,  not  only  because  its  object 
is  "eternal  life,"  but  because  it  is  based  upon  "the  resur- 
rection of  Jesus  Christ  from  the  dead."  This  truth  of  the 
resurrection  holds  a  prominent  place  in  the  writings  of 
Peter.  He  remembers  the  transforming  power  of  the 
event  in  his  own  experience.  He  mentions  it  here  as  the 
very  source  of  the  new  life  of  hope  imparted  to  the  believer 
by  the  grace  of  God.  The  object  of  this  hope,  the  final 
blessedness  of  this  life,  is  defined  as  being  an  "inher- 
itance," an  estate  one  is  to  receive  from  the  Father  in  vir- 
tue of  the  "new  birth."  This  inheritance  is  "incorri4)t- 
ible,"  it  has  no  seeds  of  decay,  it  cannot  perish ;  it  is  "unde- 
hled,"  free  from  all  stain  of  sin;  it  "fadeth  not  away," 
but  is  like  the  unwithering  flowers  of  Paradise;  it  is 
"reser\^ed  in  heaven,"  kept  absolutely  secure  for  those  who 
are  being  kept  for  it;  the  latter  are  being  "guarded," 
kept  as  in  a  garrison,  "by  the  power  of  God,"  in  view  of 
their  faith  in  him.  From  the  assaults  of  trial  and  distress 
and  temptation  the  besieged  soul  will  soon  be  delivered. 
This  salvation,  this  object  of  hope,  this  other  aspect  of 
the  "inheritance,"  is  "ready  to  be  revealed."  This  revela- 
tion will  be  "in  the  last  time,"  at  the  very  end  of  the  present 
age,  at  "the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ,"  an  event  which,  to 
the  mind  of  the  writer,  might  possibly  be  near. 

For  the  present  the  readers  were  subjected  to  manifold 
trials;  as  the  letter  shows,  they  were  suffering  from  hatred, 
suspicion,  violence,  slander,  and  cruel  persecution;  never- 
theless, in  view  of  their  coming  "salvation,"  they  were  able 
to  rejoice.  Their  distresses  were  but  "for  a  little  while"; 
they  were  part  of  the  mysterious  plan  and  providence  of 
God ;  from  them  blessings  would  issue.  These  trials  were 
tests  of  their  faith;  by  them  it  was  being  refined  and 
assayed,  like  gold ;  gold  perishes  at  last,  even  though  it  can 
withstand  the  test  of  fire;  their  faith  tested  and  purified 
would  bring  to  them  "praise  and  glory  and  honor"  when 
Christ,  their  Saviour,  appeared.  They  were  looking  and 
longing  for  his  return;  though  they  had  never  seen  him, 
they  loved  him;  though  his  appearing  was  delayed,  yet 
believing  in  him  and  expecting  his  coming,  they  were  able 
to  rejoice  with  a  joy  no  tongue  could  express,  a  joy  which 


58  FIRST  PETER  I  Peter  1:3-12 

was  radiant  with  the  glory  of  his  return.  So  real  was  their 
faith  that  they  already  anticipated  and  were  receiving  the 
fulfillment  of  their  hope,  the  joy  of  their  inheritance,  the 
"salvation"  of  their  souls. 

This  salvation,  wrought  out  by  Christ,  secured  by  his 
death  and  resurrection,  was  so  marvelous  in  its  character 
that  believers  might  well  rejoice  in  its  possession.  It  had 
been  the  object  of  deepest  concern  and  wonder  to  inspired 
writers.  The  latter  had  "sought  and  searched  diligently" 
to  find  the  exact  time  and  the  character  of  the  time  to 
which  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  who  guided  them,  was  pointing 
"when  it  testified  beforehand  the  sufferings"  which  were 
appointed  for  Christ  "and  the  glories  that  should  follow 
them."  It  was  revealed  to  them  that  their  predictions 
related  to  a  future  age,  even  that  in  which  the  readers 
of  this  epistle  were  living,  one  in  which  had  taken  place  the 
events  which  were  proclaimed  in  the  gospel.  This  good 
news  of  salvation  assured  them  that  as  they  were  now 
partakers  of  the  sufferings  of  Christ,  so  too,  they  should  be 
of  his  "glories,"  which,  predicted  by  prophets  or  proclaimed 
by  apostles,  were  so  great,  so  marvelous  that  the  angels 
gazed  upon  them  in  eagerness  and  holy  wonder. 


I  Peter  1: 13-21     SPECIAL  PRIVILEGES  59 


3.  Exhortations  in  View  of  Special  Privileges.    Ch. 
1:13  to  2:10 

a.  The  Exhortation  to  Holiness.     Ch.  1  :  13-21 

13  Wherefore  girding  up  the  loins  of  your  mind,  be  sober 
and  set  your  hope  perfectly  on  the  grace  that  is  to  be  brought 
unto  you  at  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ;  14  as  children  of 
obedience,  not  fashioning  yourselves  according  to  your  former 
lusts  in  the  time  of  your  ignorance:  15  but  Uke  as  he  who 
called  you  is  holy,  be  ye  yourselves  also  holy  in  all  manner  of 
living;  16  because  it  is  written.  Ye  shall  be  holy;  for  I  am 
holy.  17  And  if  ye  call  on  him  as  Father,  who  without  respect 
of  persons  judgeth  according  to  each  man's  work,  pass  the 
time  of  your  sojourning  in  fear:  18  knowing  that  ye  were 
redeemed,  not  with  corruptible  things,  with  silver  or  gold, 
from  your  vain  manner  of  life  handed  down  from  your  fathers ; 
19  but  with  precious  blood,  as  of  a  lamb  without  blemish  and 
without  spot,  even  the  blood  of  Christ:  20  who  was  fore- 
known indeed  before  the  foundation  of  the  world,  but  was 
manifested  at  the  end  of  the  times  for  your  sake,  21  who 
through  him  are  believers  in  God,  that  raised  him  from  the 
dead,  and  gave  him  glory;  so  that  your  faith  and  hope  might 
be  in  God. 

Plaving  given  thanks  to  God  for  the  wonderful  salva- 
tion to  be  revealed  in  all  fullness  at  the  second  coming  of 
Christ,  Peter  now  urges  his  readers  to  conduct  which  is  in 
accord  with  their  high  privileges  and  glorious  destiny. 
The  three  chief  exhortations  are  to  holiness,  to  love,  and 
to  growth.  He  introduces  the  first  of  these  by  suggesting 
the  animating  principle  of  hope.  "Wherefore  .  .  . 
hope,"  is  the  substance  of  the  first  verse  of  the  paragraph; 
"be  ye  .  .  .  holy,"  is  the  sum  of  the  verses  which  remain. 
"Wherefore,"  that  is,  in  view  of  the  deliverance  from  dis- 
tresses and  the  heavenly  inheritance  which  will  be  theirs 
when  Christ  appears;  "girding  up  the  loins  of  your  mind," 
as  an  Oriental  would  prepare  himself  for  special  effort  by 
gathering  closely  about  him  his  loosely  flowing  robes,  so 
the  mind  of  the  Christian  must  be  unhampered  by  sinful, 


60  FIRST  PETER  I  Peter  1: 13-21 

selfish,  unbelieving  thoughts;  "be  sober,"  or  "being  sober," 
that  is  "self-controlled,"  guarding  against  all  fanatical  and 
foolish  excitement,  "set  your  hope  perfectly  on  the  grace 
that  is  to  be  brought  unto  you  at  the  revelation  of  Jesus 
Christ."  At  this  present  day  there  is  need  of  similar 
caution  in  connection  with  the  blessed  hope  which  centers 
in  the  return  of  Christ;  first,  there  is  still  danger  that  the 
hope  may  be  neglected  because  the  mind  is  hampered  by 
worldly,  sinful  distractions;  second,  there  is  danger  lest 
it  be  associated  with  wild  and  fanatical  vagaries;  third, 
because  of  long  delay  and  abundant  discouragements,  the 
hope  grows  faint,  it  is  not  "set  .  .  .  perfectly,"  it  does 
not  continue  until  the  end. 

Hope  is  mentioned,  however,  only  as  the  motive  to 
holiness.  The  latter  is  the  supreme  thought  of  the  para- 
graph. This  holiness  is  described  negatively  by  a  refer- 
ence to  the  former  life  of  the  readers,  and  positively  by  a 
reference  to  the  holiness  of  God.  "As  children"  who  are 
such  because  of  "obedience"  to  the  divine  call,  and  as  those 
whose  whole  purpose  of  life  is  to  obey,  they  are  exhorted 
no  longer  to  conform  their  acts  and  habits  to  the  mode  of 
life  which,  before  they  knew  Christ,  was  molded  by  selfish 
and  sinful  desires.  "But  like  as  he  who  called  you  is  holy, 
be  ye  yourselves  also  holy."  The  root  idea  of  holiness  is 
that  of  "separation,"  of  dedication,  particularly  to  the 
service  of  God;  it  came  therefore  to  denote  the  moral 
character  belonging  to  God  himself.  The  mention  of  this 
as  the  standard  for  Christian  living  is  inspiring.  If  God 
commands  us  to  be  holy  we  can  rest  assured  that  he  is 
ready  to  give  us  needed  grace,  and  even  though  in  this 
present  time  we  fail  to  attain  the  divine  ideal,  we  are  thus 
encouraged  to  believe  that  perfect  holiness  is  to  be  ours 
when  Christ  appears;   it  is  part  of  our  "inheritance." 

Two  special  reasons  are  assigned  for  obeying  this  com- 
mand: first,  the  fact  that  God  is  not  only  our  Father  but 
our  Judge.  He  is  loving,  but  he  is  also  just,  and  can 
allow  no  sin  in  his  children ;  therefore,  we  should  spend  the 
brief  time  of  our  "sojourning"  here,  before  we  go  to  his 
heavenly  home,  "in  reverence  and  holy  awe."  The  second 
reason  is  the  fact  that  our  ransom  from  the  power  of  sin 


1  Peter  1:22-25     SPECIAL  PRIVILEGES  61 

has  been  secured  at  so  great  cost,  "even  the  blood  of 
Christ" ;  it  ever  had  been  the  divine  purpose  that  he  should 
be  our  Redeemer,  and  now  after  long  ages  of  waiting  he 
has  appeared  and  finished  his  atoning  work,  has  been  raised 
from  the  dead,  and  has  been  exalted  to  the  place  of 
supreme  power;  through  him  we  know  God,  on  him  our 
"faith  and  hope"  are  based. 

b.  Exhortation  to  Brotherly  Love.     Ch.  1  :  22-25 

22  Seeing  ye  have  purified  your  souls  in  your  obedience 
to  the  truth  unto  unfeigned  love  of  the  brethren,  love  one 
another  from  the  heart  fervently:  23  having  been  begotten 
again,  not  of  corruptible  seed,  but  of  incorruptible,  through 
the  word  of  God,  which  liveth  and  abideth.     24  For, 

All  flesh  is  as  grass. 

And  all  the  glory  thereof  as  the  flower  of  grass. 

The  grass  withereth,  and  the  flower  f alleth : 
25  But  the  word  of  the  Lord  abideth  for  ever. 
And  this  is  the  word  of  good  tidings  which  was  preached 
unto  you. 

The  new  life  of  holiness,  made  possible  by  the  redemp- 
tion of  Christ,  is  now  made  the  basis  of  an  exhortation  to 
mutual  love  between  believers.  In  fact  such  love  is  sug- 
gested as  the  very  object  and  purpose  of  that  purification 
of  soul  which  results  from  obedience  to  the  revealed  will 
of  God.  "Seeing  ye  have  purified  your  souls" ;  this  proc- 
ess was  begun  when  the  truth  concerning  Christ  was  first 
accepted,  it  has  been  continued  in  "obedience  to  the  truth" 
and  has  its  issue  and  goal  in  "unfeigned  love  of  the  breth- 
ren"; therefore,  develop,  cultivate,  manifest  this  affec- 
tion:   "love  one  another  from  the  heart  fervently." 

This  love  is  natural,  for  Christians  share  a  common  life; 
all  have  one  Father,  and  the  spirit  of  sonship  should  be  the 
spirit  of  brotherhood.  This  love  should  be  abiding,  for 
the  new  life  from  which  it  springs  is  eternal,  it  comes  from 
"incorruptible  seed,"  communicated  by  means  of  the  living 
message  of  salvation;  for  we  have  been  "begotten  again, 
not  of  corruptible  seed,  but  of  incorruptible,  through  the 
word  of  God  which  liveth  and  abideth."  Mere  natural, 
human  love  might  wither  and  fade,  but  the  affection  of 


62  FIRST  PETER  I  Peter  2:  1-10 

those  whose  new  life  has  come  through  accepting  the 
changeless,  deathless  truths  of  the  gospel,  will  flourish 
and  never  fail;  "all  flesh  is  as  grass, .  .  .  but  the  word  of 
the  Lord  abideth  for  ever." 

Such  love  was  needed  by  those  early  Christians,  amid 
the  withering  heat  of  persecution  and  pain;  such  love  is 
needed  to-day  where  sorrows  cast  their  shadows  and  where 
the  night  of  grief  and  doubt  deepens;  it  is  the  fragrant  ex- 
pression of  the  life  of  faith,  it  is  the  flower  and  the  fruit 
of  "the  good  tidings"  concerning  Christ. 

c.  Exhortation  to  Growth  as  the  People  of  God.     Ch.  2  :  1-10 

1  Putting  away  therefore  all  wickedness,  and  all  guile,  and 
hypocrisies,  and  envies,  and  all  evil  speakings,  2  as  newborn 
babes,  long  for  the  spiritual  milk  which  is  without  guile,  that 
ye  may  grow  thereby  unto  salvation ;  3  if  ye  have  tasted  that 
the  Lord  is  gracious:  4  unto  whom  coming,  a  living  stone, 
rejected  indeed  of  men,  but  with  God  elect,  precious,  5  ye 
also,  as  living  stones,  are  built  up  a  spiritual  house,  to  be  a 
holy  priesthood,  to  offer  up  spiritual  sacrifices,  acceptable  to 
God  through  Jesus  Christ.  6  Because  it  is  contained  in 
scripture. 

Behold,  I  lay  in  Zion  a  chief  comer  stone,  elect,  precious: 
And  he  that  believeth  on  him  shall  not  be  put  to  shame. 

7  For  you  therefore  that  believe  is  the  preciousness :  but  for 
such  as  disbelieve. 

The  stone  which  the  builders  rejected, 
The  same  was  made  the  head  of  the  comer; 

8  and, 

A  stone  of  stumbling,  and  a  rock  of  offence ; 
for  they  stumble  at  the  word,  being  disobedient:  whereunto 
also  they  were  appointed.  9  But  ye  are  an  elect  race,  a  royal 
priesthood,  a  holy  nation,  a  people  for  God's  own  possession, 
that  ye  may  show  forth  the  excellencies  of  him  who  called  you 
out  of  darkness  into  his  marvellous  light:  10  who  in  time  past 
were  no  people,  but  now  are  the  people  of  God :  who  had  not 
obtained  mercy,  but  now  have  obtained  mercy. 

Having  reminded  his  readers  of  the  new  life  com- 
municated to  them  through  the  gospel  and  by  faith  in 
Christ,  Peter  next  urges  them  to  secure  such  growth  and 
development  as  will  fit  them  for  service  as  the  people  of 
God.     The  figures  of  speech  are  vivid  and  change  with 


I  Peter  2:  1-10      SPECIAL  PRIVILEGES  63 

bewildering  rapidity;  most  of  them  are  taken  from  the 
Old  Testament,  and  together  they  form  almost  a  mosaic  of 
quotations.  At  first  Christians  are  regarded  as  children, 
then  as  a  temple,  and  then  as  a  priesthood,  and  then  as 
the  true  "Israel  of  God." 

"As  newborn  babes,  long  for  the  spiritual  milk  .  .  . 
that  ye  may  grow  thereby."  The  suggestion  of  spiritual 
infancy  is  not  intended  here  as  a  rebuke,  but  rather  as  an 
encouragement  to  seek  for  the  growth  which  ail  partakers 
of  the  new  life  need.  Negatively,  this  growth  will  be 
secured  by  repressing  all  those  motions  and  habits  which 
belong  to  the  old  life  of  sin,  particularly  such  as  are 
opposed  to  the  brotherly  love  in  which  the  new  birth  has 
been  shown  to  have  its  first  and  highest  expression: 
"Putting  away  therefore  all  wickedness,  and  all  guile, 
and  hypocrisies,  and  envies,  and  all  evil  speakings,  as  new- 
born babes,  long  for  the  spiritual  milk."  Thus,  positively, 
the  growth  can  be  secured  only  as  the  soul  receives  spiritual 
food.  The  words  "spiritual  milk"  are  often  translated 
"milk  of  the  word";  and  quite  possibly  the  writer  has  in 
mind  "the  word  of  good  tidings"  to  which  he  has  previously 
referred  as  the  means  of  the  new  birth.  Surely  the  same 
means  must  be  employed  in  nourishing  the  new  life;  and 
the  main  reason  for  the  arrested  development  of  modern 
Christians  is  found  in  their  neglect  of  spiritual  food,  where- 
by, as  Peter  declares,  we  "may  grow  .  .  .  unto  salvation," 
that  is,  unto  that  full  moral  maturity,  that  complete 
deliverance  from  sin,  which  will  be  realized  at  the  coming 
of  Christ.  A  longing  for  such  food  is  the  sure  proof  that 
we  have  been  "born  anew,"  for  if  we  "have  tasted  that  the 
Lord  is  gracious,"  these  first  experiences  of  the  loveliness 
and  goodness  of  Christ  will  make  us  yearn  to  drink  more 
deeply  of  his  exhaustless  grace. 

Peter  next  refers  to  believers  as  forming  a  temple, 
although  he  unites  this  figure  with  that  of  a  priesthood. 
As  "living  stones"  they  are  united  to  Christ,  the  great 
Corner  Stone  who  had  been  set  at  nought  by  men  but 
afforded  supreme  honor  by  God;  cemented  to  him  by  faith, 
and  to  their  fellow  Christians  by  love,  they  are  being  built 
into  a  glorious  house  for  the  indwelling  of  God,  by  his 


64  FIRST  PETER  I  Peter  2: 1-10 

Spirit.  As  a  priesthood  they  are  to  offer  sacrifices  of 
praise  and  prayer,  of  kindness  and  holiness  and  love,  which 
will  be  acceptable  to  God  because  presented  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ. 

Of  this  spiritual  temple  the  prophets  had  spoken; 
they  had  declared  that  Christ,  as  the  Corner  Stone,  was 
chosen  by  God,  and  held  in  highest  honor,  and  that  those 
who  trusted  in  him  should  not,  as  Peter  suggests,  "be  put 
to  shame."  The  honor,  the  "preciousness,"  belonged  to 
believers,  but  for  those  who  refused  to  believe  on  Christ 
there  was  only  condemnation  and  loss.  The  exalted 
Christ  is  the  touchstone  of  character;  those  who  spurn  his 
gospel  of  grace  declare  their  own  judgment:  "The  stone 
which  the  builders  rejected,  the  same  was  made  the  head 
of  the  corner;  and,  a  stone  of  stumbling,  and  a  rock  of 
offence." 

In  contrast  with  the  fate  of  unbelieving  Israel,  Peter 
depicts  the  privileges  of  the  Church,  the  true  people  of 
God:  "But  ye  are  an  elect  race,"  "chosen,"  as  was  the 
Hebrew  people,  and  a  "race,"  because  possessing  a  common 
life  resulting  from  the  new  birth;  "a  royal  priesthood," 
"royal"  as  appointed  by  their  King,  royal  as  called  to 
share  his  dignity  and  his  glory,  and  "priests,"  as  offering 
spiritual  sacrifices  and  interceding  for  men;  "a  holy  na- 
tion," a  nation  separated  from  others,  consecrated  unto 
God,  and  expected  to  manifest  the  moral  nature  and 
purity  of  God;  "a  people  for  God's  own  possession,"  that 
is,  a  people  "acquired  and  possessed  by  him  as  a  special 
and  peculiar  treasure."  Such  boundless  privileges  imply 
great  responsibilities:  Christians  are  expected  to  show 
forth  by  life  and  word,  "the  excellencies,"  the  virtues,  the 
goodness,  the  wisdom  "of  him  who  called"  them,  by  his 
Spirit  and  providence,  "out  of  darkness,"  the  ignorance 
and  night  of  moral  ignorance  and  unbelief,  "into  his 
marvelous  light"  as  revealed  in  his  Son;  in  time  past, 
whatever  their  nationality,  they  really  "were  no  people, 
but  now  are  the  people  of  God";  they  "had  not  obtained 
mercy,  but  now  have  obtained  mercy."  Thus  the  words 
spoken  by  Hosea  of  repentant  Israel  find  their  fulfillment 
in  the  redeemed,  sanctified,  beloved  followers  of  Christ. 


I  Peter  2:  11   12     SPECIAL  RELATIONS  65 


4.  Exhortations  in  View  of  Special  Relations.     Ch. 

2  : 11  to  4  :  11 

a.  Sojourners.     Ch.  2:11,  12 

11  Beloved,  I  beseech  you  as  sojotimers  and  pilgrims,  to 
abstain  from  fleshly  lusts,  which  war  against  the  soul;  12 
having  your  behavior  seemly  among  the  Gentiles;  that, 
wherein  they  speak  against  you  as  evil-doers,  they  may  by 
your  good  works,  which  they  behold,  glorify  God  in  the  day 
of  visitation. 

Here  Peter  begins  a  distinct  division  of  his  epistle.  The 
first  division  consisted  in  a  series  of  exhortations  based 
upon  the  peculiar  privileges  described  in  his  "salutation" 
and  "thanksgiving,"  and  summarized  in  the  one  great 
word  "salvation."  The  present  series  of  exhortations 
enjoins  upon  his  readers  conduct  becoming  Christians  in 
their  various  relations  to  the  state,  to  the  family,  and 
particularly  to  the  heathen  society  in  the  midst  of  which 
they  were  dwelling.  The  first  of  these  exhortations  is 
wide  in  its  scope  and  refers  to  their  whole  course  of  life. 
In  it  they  are  addressed  as  "sojourners  and  pilgrims." 
Neither  of  these  words  emphasizes  the  idea  which  we  com- 
monly associate  with  "pilgrims,"  namely,  those  who  are 
journeying  to  a  heavenly  land,  yet  both  emphasize  a 
closely  related  truth.  The  first  describes  those  who  are 
in  a  foreign  country,  as  "aliens";  the  other,  those  who  are 
remaining  in  such  a  country  for  only  a  short  time;  thus 
both  words  remind  us  that  "our  citizenship  is  in  heaven," 
and  our  stay  here  is  but  brief.  Accordingly  we  are  urged 
to  "abstain  from  fleshly  lusts,  which  war  against  the 
soul";  that  is,  we  are  not  to  adopt  the  evil  customs  of  the 
people  among  whom  we  live  or  to  endanger  our  spirits  the 
life  of  which  is  not  brief  but  immortal.  The  "lusts"  of 
which  we  are  warned  do  not  refer  merely  to  impure,  bodily 
appetites,  but  to  all  wrong  and  selfish  desires  and  im- 
pulses which  threaten  to  take  captive  and  to  destroy  the 
soul. 


66  FIRST  PETER  I  Peter  2: 13-17 

The  special  motive  given  for  honorable  and  consistent 
conduct  is  the  effect  it  might  have  upon  the  unbelievers 
among  whom  the  readers  were  sojourning.  Christians 
were  being  slandered  as  irreligious  because  not  worshiping 
the  heathen  gods,  as  morose  and  ascetic  because  refraining 
from  popular  vices,  as  disloyal  to  the  government  because 
claiming  allegiance  to  a  heavenly  King,  Peter  urges  them 
to  disprove  such  reports  by  their  pure  and  noble  lives,  and 
so  to  conduct  themselves  that  their  very  accusers  might 
be  won  to  the  faith,  and  might  thank  God,  in  the  day  of 
Christ's  appearing,  for  the  good  deeds  and  saving  influence 
of  the  Christian  pilgrims  who  had  sojourned  among  them. 

b.  Citizens.     Ch.  2  :  13-17 

13  Be  subject  to  every  ordinance  of  man  for  the  Lord's 
sake :  whether  to  the  king,  as  supreme ;  14  or  unto  governors, 
as  sent  by  him  for  vengeance  on  evil-doers  and  for  praise  to 
them  that  do  well.  15  For  so  is  the  will  of  God,  that  by  well- 
doing ye  should  put  to  silence  the  ignorance  of  foolish  men: 
16  as  free,  and  not  using  your  freedom  for  a  cloak  of  wicked- 
ness, but  as  bondservants  of  God.  17  Honor  all  men.  Love 
the  brotherhood.    Fear  God.     Honor  the  king. 

While  Christians  are  to  regard  themselves  as  citizens 
of  heaven,  yet  they  are  to  remember  that,  in  a  very  real 
sense,  they  are  now  citizens  upon  earth;  they  are  subject 
to  human  government,  and  are  to  show  their  fidelity  to 
Christ  by  their  loyalty  to  the  State.  Heavenly  privileges 
and  prospects  are  to  make  them  not  less  faithful  but  rather 
more  faithful  to  present  obligations  and  duties.  Thus, 
having  addressed  his  readers  as  "pilgrims"  and  having 
given  them  a  general  exhortation  to  right  conduct,  Peter's 
first  specific  command  relates  to  the  duties  of  Christian 
citizens.  They  are  urged  to  obey  all  the  requirements  and 
demands  of  civil  rulers,  and  to  do  so  as  thereby  pleasing 
and  serving  Christ:  "Be  subject  to  every  ordinance  of 
man  for  the  Lord's  sake."  These  Christians  were  to  obey 
"the  king,"  by  which  was  meant  the  emperor,  probably 
Nero,  and  likewise  his  representatives,  the  "governors," 
whose  tasks  consisted  largely  in  punishing  "evil-doers" 
and   in   protecting  and   rewarding   those  who  did   well. 


I  Peter  2:  18-23     SPECIAL  RELATIONS  ^  67 

Peter  declares  such  loyalty,  even  to  such  imperial  mon- 
sters, to  be  the  will  of  God,  and  the  best  way  in  which  to 
silence  the  slanders  which  were  current  in  reference  to 
Christians.  Of  course,  in  a  very  true  sense,  followers  of 
Christ  are  "free";  they  are  responsible  to  their  Lord; 
they  are  not  to  obey  the  emperor  if  he  asks  them  to  act 
contrary  to  the  will  of  their  Lord ;  they  also,  at  times,  may 
be  asked  to  judge  whether  a  government  is  lawful  and 
worthy  of  support;  liberty,  however,  is  not  license;  it 
is  no  excuse  for  disloyalty,  sedition,  or  treason ;  Christians 
are  not  to  use  the  word  "freedom"  as  "a  cloak  of  wicked- 
ness"; even  an  imperfect  government  is  better  than 
anarchy;  freedom  is  deserved  and  can  rightly  be  enjoyed 
only  by  those  who  are  "bondserv^ants  of  God."  Such  men 
will  "honor  all  men."  By  this  phrase  Peter  seems  to 
indicate  the  observance  of  the  proprieties  of  life  in  showing 
the  respect  demanded  by  custom  to  persons  of  various 
rank  and  position;  yet  the  command  includes  a  proper 
consideration  of  the  sacred  rights  of  all  men,  even  the  most 
weak  and  humble  and  obscure. 

**Love  the  brotherhood."  While  all  men  must  be 
treated  with  respect,  we  should  show  a  peculiar  affection 
and  regard  for  those  who  are  one  w^ith  us  in  Christ.  "Fear 
God.  Honor  the  king."  A  reverential  awe  is  to  be  felt 
toward  God;  this  is  not  inconsistent  with  devoted  loyalty 
to  the  king;  in  fact  the  purport  of  the  whole  paragraph 
shows  that  the  most  faithful  servant  of  God  will  surely  be 
the  most  patriotic  supporter  of  the  State. 

c.  Servants.     Ch.  2  :  18-25 

18  Servants,  be  in  subjection  to  your  masters  with  all 
fear;  not  only  to  the  good  and  gentle,  but  also  to  the  froward. 
19  For  this  is  acceptable,  if  for  conscience  toward  God  a  man 
endureth  griefs,  suffering  wrongfully.  20  For  what  glory 
is  it,  if,  when  ye  sin,  and  are  buffeted  for  it,  ye  shall  take  it 
patiently?  but  if,  when  ye  do  well,  and  suffer  for  it,  ye  shall 
take  it  patiently,  this  is  acceptable  with  God*  21  For  hereunto 
were  ye  called:  because  Christ  also  suffered  for  you,  leaving 
you  an  example,  that  ye  should  follow  his  steps :  22  who  did 
no  sin,  neither  was  guile  found  in  his  mouth:  23  who,  when 
he  was  reviled,  reviled  not  again;  when  he  suffered,  threat- 


68  FIRST  PETER  I  Peter  2: 24, 25 

ened  not;  but  committed  himself  to  him  that  judgeth  right- 
eously: 24  who  his  own  self  bare  our  sins  in  his  body  upon 
the  tree,  that  we,  having  died  unto  sins,  might  live  unto 
righteousness;  by  whose  stripes  ye  were  healed.  25  For 
ye  were  going  astray  like  sheep;  but  are  now  rettuned  unto 
the  Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  your  souls. 

In  urging  upon  his  readers  conduct  becoming  to  Chris- 
tians in  the  various  relations  of  life,  Peter  first  emphasizes 
the  duties  of  citizens  to  the  State;  he  next  dwells  upon  the 
relation  of  servants  to  their  masters.  He  does  not  address 
them  as  slaves,  the  word  employed  by  Paul,  but  as  "house- 
hold servants,"  a  term  which,  in  that  day,  included  free 
men  and  women,  even  clerks  and  musicians  and  teachers 
and  physicians;  thus  the  passage  applies  to  the  attitude 
of  all  employees  toward  their  employers  and  bears  upon  the 
vexed  modern  problems  of  labor  and  capital. 

The  one  comprehensive  exhortation  is  to  submission: 
"Servants,  be  in  subjection  to  your  masters  with  all  fear." 
This  "subjection"  however,  is  like  that  previously  sug- 
gested toward  kings  and  governors:  it  implies  not  only 
obedience  but  also  loyalty;  servants  are  not  only  to  sub- 
mit but  to  be  faithful  and  to  advance  the  interests  of  their 
masters.  The  "fear"  is  not  of  punishment,  but  denotes 
anxious  fidelity  and  deference  under  all  circumstances,  the 
desire  to  avoid  all  offense.  As  submission  to  a  cruel 
tyrant  like  Nero  was  a  special  test  of  loyalty  to  the  State, 
so  the  proof  of  faithfulnesss  in  servants  was  found  in  their 
obedience  not  only  to  masters  who  were  kind  and  consider- 
ate, but  also  to  the  "froward,"  the  unreasonable,  the  cruel, 
and  the  unjust.  It  would  be  specially  acceptable  to  God, 
if  for  his  sake,  because  of  obligation  to  him  and  strength- 
ened by  the  thought  of  his  presence,  they  would  endure 
patiently  sufferings  which  were  undeserv^ed,  blows  and 
scourgings  even  when  they  had  merited  praise. 

Peter  makes  no  reference  here  to  "masters"  and  their 
reciprocal  duties,  not  so  much  because  the  larger  number 
of  his  readers  were  servants  as  because  he  is  dwelling  in 
this  section  of  his  epistle  upon  the  Christian  graces  of  sub- 
mission and  meekness.  Of  course  masters  are  required 
to  be  gentle  and  just.    The  patient  fidelity  of  their  serv- 


1  Peter  3:  1-3         SPECIAL  RELATIONS  69 

ants  only  increases  their  own  obligation  to  be  reasonable, 
fair,  and  generous.  Nor  does  this  paragraph  forbid 
employees  to  use  all  lawful  means  to  secure  their  rights 
and  to  advance  their  interests.  Here  the  exhortation  is 
to  patience  under  wrongs  for  which  there  is  no  remedy. 
Endurance  of  undeserved  punishment,  when  there  can 
be  no  redress,  is  here  declared  to  be  a  ground  of  glorying 
and  of  praise. 

Christians  are  encouraged  to  such  patient  endurance 
by  the  example  of  their  Lord.  When  they  were  summoned 
to  follow  him,  such  sufferings  were  involved  in  their  call; 
they  should  expect  them  to  be  part  of  their  experience. 
They  should  follow  in  his  footsteps  "who  did  no  sin,"  and 
yet  suffered  a  cruel  death.  Peter  specially  calls  to  mind 
the  uncomplaining  meekness  of  Christ  at  the  time  of  his 
trial  and  crucifixion,  and  declares  that  he  was  suffering 
innocently,  but  for  our  sakes:  "Who  his  own  self  bare  our 
sins  in  his  body  upon  the  tree."  The  language  is  descrip- 
tive of  sacrifice;  the  death  on  the  cross  was  atoning; 
Christ  took  upon  him  the  dread  consequences  of  our  guilt; 
the  emphasis,  however,  is  laid  upon  the  purpose  of  his 
death,  which  was  not  only,  but  very  definitely,  that  we 
might  break  with  sin,  once  and  for  all,  and  "might  live 
unto  righteousness."  "By  whose  stripes  ye  were  healed." 
The  marks  of  the  cruel  scourge  upon  his  quivering  fiesh 
were  but  signs  of  that  suffering  which  for  our  sakes  he 
endured,  when  submitting  to  the  death  of  a  slave.  Surely 
servants,  for  his  sake,  should  endure  patiently  the  severest 
wrongs.  To  him  they  owed  their  salvation;  like  lost 
sheep  they  were  wandering  farther  and  farther  from  virtue 
and  from  God,  but  now  they  have  been  brought  to  find  in 
Christ  the  Shepherd  and  the  Guardian  of  their  souls. 

d.  Wives  and  Husbands.     Ch.  3  :  1-7 

1  In  like  manner,  ye  wives,  be  in  subjection  to  your  own 
husbands;  that,  even  if  any  obey  not  the  word,  they  may 
without  the  word  be  gained  by  the  behavior  of  their  wives; 

2  beholding  your  chaste  behavior  coupled  with  fear.  3 
Whose  adorning  let  it  not  be  the  outward  adorning  of  braiding 
the  hair,  and  of  wearing  jewels  of  gold,  or  of  putting  on  ap- 


70  FIRST  PETER  I  Peter  3:4-7 

parel;  4  but  let  it  be  the  hidden  man  of  the  heart,  in  the  in- 
corruptible apparel  of  a  meek  and  quiet  spirit,  which  is  in 
the  sight  of  God  of  great  price.  5  For  after  this  manner 
aforetime  the  holy  women  also  who,  hoped  in  God,  adorned 
themselves,  being  in  subjection  to  their  own  husbands:  6 
as  Sarah  obeyed  Abraham,  calling  him  lord:  whose  children 
\ye  now  are,  if  ye  do  well,  and  are  not  put  in  fear  by  any  terror. 
7  Ye  husbands,  in  like  manner,  dwell  with  your  wives 
according  to  knowledge,  giving  honor  unto  the  woman,  as 
imto  the  weaker  vessel,  as  being  also  joint-heirs  of  the  grace 
of  life;  to  the  end  that  your  prayers  be  not  hindered. 

As  citizens  were  to  be  loyal  to  the  state  even  under 
the  reign  of  a  Caesar,  as  servants  were  to  obey  masters  who 
were  cruel  and  unjust,  so  wives  were  to  render  loving 
obedience  to  their  husbands  even  when  the  latter  were  not 
Christians:  "In  like  manner,  ye  wives,  be  in  subjection 
to  your  own  husbands."  The  exhortation  is  not  popular 
at  the  present  day;  many  are  arguing  that  as  despotism 
is  not  to  be  tolerated  in  government,  nor  slavery  in  society, 
so  obedience  to  husbands  is  no  longer  necessary  in  the 
family.  Of  course  no  wife  need  feel  compelled  to  act  con- 
trary to  conscience  or  duty;  of  course  no  personal  inferior- 
ity is  implied ;  of  course  there  are  sacred  rights  which  none 
should  dare  invade;  yet  upon  Christian  wives  there  ever 
rests  the  obligation  of  patient  submission  to  their  husbands. 
The  special  reason  here  assigned  is  the  possibility  that  un- 
believing husbands  might  be  won  for  Christ  by  "the 
behavior  of  their  wives."  Even  though  they  had  rejected 
the  gospel  they  might  "be  gained"  without  preaching,  as 
they  read  sermons  without  words,  written  in  the  eloquent 
language  of  pure  conduct  and  respectful  demeanor,  of 
"chaste  behavior  coupled  with  fear." 

In  married  life  admiration  and  affection  can  be  retained 
not  so  much  by  extravagant  adornment  of  the  body  as  by 
the  irresistible  charm  of  spirit  and  disposition:  "Whose 
adorning  let  it  not  be  the  outward  adorning  of  braiding 
the  hair,  and  of  wearing  jewels  of  gold,  or  of  putting  on 
apparel ;  but  let  it  be  the  hidden  man  of  the  heart,  in  the 
incorruptible  apparel  of  a  meek  and  quiet  spirit."  This  is 
no  prohibition  of  jewelry  or  becoming  costumes;  it  is  a 
comparision  between  two  forms  of  attractiveness.     The 


I  Peter  3:  1-7        SPECIAL  RELATIONS  71 

apparel  which  wears  best  and  is  never  out  of  style  is 
the  "meek  and  quiet  spirit"  which  never  worries  or 
causes  worry;  it  is  pleasing  not  only  to  men  but  also  to 
God. 

As  a  model  for  Christian  matrons,  Peter  cites  the  godly 
women  of  old  whose  chief  charm  consisted  in  their  loyal 
devotion,  who  "adorned  themselves,  being  in  subjection  to 
their  own  husbands";  in  particular,  he  mentions  Sarah, 
whose  attitude  of  respect  and  reverence  was  illustrated  by 
a  single  term  of  address,  she  "obeyed  Abraham,  calling 
him  lord."  All  who  are  like  her  in  spirit  are,  in  this 
sense,  her  "children,"  just  as  all  believers  are  children  of 
Abraham,  the  "father  of  the  faithful."  Obedience  and 
submission,  however,  do  not  mean  anxious  fear,  or  con- 
tinual dread,  or  cowering  terror;  these  are  not  attractive 
to  men  or  pleasing  to  God ;  the  wife  is  to  be  sure  that  her 
conduct  is  right  and  shaped  with  due  regard  to  her  hus- 
band, but  she  is  not  to  be  "put  in  fear  by  any  terror." 

Husbands,  on  the  other  hand,  are  not  to  presume  upon 
their  position  or  to  forget  their  mutual  obligations. 
"Obedience"  on  the  part  of  a  wife  will  involve  nothing  of 
humiliation  or  distress  if  a  husband  is  conducting  himself 
as  a  Christian.  While  he  recognizes  in  his  wife  certain 
natural  limitations  of  strength,  he  will  not  regard  this  as 
an  excuse  for  tyranny  or  injustice  but  with  true  chivalry 
will  find  it  an  occasion  for  more  tenderness  and  sympathy 
and  reverence,  "giving  honor  unto  the  woman,  as  unto  the 
weaker  vessel."  Least  of  all  will  the  submission  of  a  wife 
imperil  her  happiness  and  highest  good,  when  the  husband 
remembers  their  absolute  spiritual  equality  as  joint  heirs 
of  the  life  eternal  granted  them  by  the  grace  of  God. 
One  who  realizes  this  grace  will  be  humble  in  spirit;  he 
cannot  be  inconsiderate  or  unkind;  he  will  seek  to  show 
devoted  love,  to  maintain  that  perfect  human  harmony 
and  concord  without  which  fellowship  with  God  is  impos- 
sible. The  first  and  last  words  of  the  paragraph  form  a 
significant  and  striking  rule  for  husbands:  "Dwell  with 
your  wives  .    .    .  that  your  prayers  be  not  hindered." 


72 ,  FIRST  PETER  I  Peter  3 : 8-22 

e.  Innocent  Sufferers.     Ch.  3  :  8-22 

8  Finally,  he  ye  all  likeminded,  compassionate,  loving  as 
brethren,  tenderhearted,  humbleminded :  9  not  rendering 
evil  for  evil,  or  reviling  for  reviling;  but  contrariwise  blessing; 
for  hereunto  were  ye  called,  that  ye  should  inherit  a  blessing. 

10  For, 

He  that  would  love  life, 

And  see  good  days, 

Let  him  refrain  his  tongue  from  evil, 

And  his  lips  that  they  speak  no  guile : 

11  And  let  him  turn  away  from  evil,  and  do  good; 
Let  him  seek  peace,  and  pursue  it. 

12  For  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  are  upon  the  righteous, 
And  his  ears  unto  their  supplication: 

But  the  face  of  the  Lord  is  upon  them  that  do  evil. 

13  And  who  is  he  that  will  harm  you,  if  ye  be  zealous  of 
that  which  is  good?  14  But  even  if  ye  should  suffer  for  right- 
eousness' sake,  blessed  are  ye:  and  fear  not  their  fear, 
neither  be  troubled;  15  but  sanctify  in  your  hearts  Christ 
as  Lord:  being  ready  always  to  give  answer  to  every  man  that 
asketh  you  a  reason  concerning  the  hope  that  is  in  you,  yet 
with  meekness  and  fear:  16  having  a  good  conscience; 
that,  wherein  ye  are  spoken  against,  they  may  be  put  to 
shame  who  revile  yoiir  good  maimer  of  life  in  Christ.  17  For 
it  is  better,  if  the  will  of  God  should  so  wiU,  that  ye  suffer  for 
well-doing  than  for  evil-doing.  18  Because  Christ  also  suf- 
fered for  sins  once,  the  righteous  for  the  unrighteous,  that  he 
might  bring  us  to  God;  being  put  to  death  in  the  flesh,  but 
made  alive  in  the  spirit ;  19  in  which  also  he  went  and  preached 
unto  the  spirits  in  prison,  20  that  aforetime  were  disobedient, 
when  the  longsuffering  of  God  waited  in  the  days  of  Noah, 
while  the  ark  was  a  preparing,  wherein  few,  that  is,  eight 
souls,  were  saved  through  water:  21  which  also  after  a  true 
likeness  doth  now  save  you,  even  baptism,  not  the  putting 
away  of  the  filth  of  the  flesh,  but  the  interrogation  of  a  good 
conscience  toward  God,  through  the  resurrection  of  Jesus 
Christ;  22  who  is  on  the  right  hand  of  God,  having  gone  into 
heaven;  angels  and  authorities  and  powers  being  made  sub- 
ject unto  him. 

Having  given  special  instructions  to  citizens  and  serv- 
ants and  wives,  Peter  speaks  more  broadly  to  all  his 
readers  as  to  their  consistent  conduct  as  Christians,  In 
these  more  general  exhortations  the  keynote  is  still  the 


I  Peter  3:  8-22       SPECIAL  RELATIONS  73 

same;  Peter  continues  to  emphasize  the  duty  of  submis- 
sion, and  to  suggest  that  while  there  are  other  graces,  and 
while  life  has  much  of  happiness  and  blessing,  still  the  fol- 
lowers of  Christ  will  be  like  him  in  encountering  many 
sufferings.  But  by  faith  in  him  they  can  endure  patiently 
and  will  see  that  the  final  issue  of  their  sufferings  is  en- 
larged usefulness  and  blessedness. 

"Finally,"  writes  the  apostle,  as  if  his  words  were 
reaching  a  climax,  and  as  if  he  would  turn  from  special 
classes  to  address  all  Christians,  "be  ye  all  likeminded," 
one  in  sentiment,  of  "one  accord";  "compassionate," 
sympathizing  with  the  sorrows  and  also  with  the  blessings 
of  others;  "loving  as  brethren,"  that  is,  as  belonging  to  the 
one  fam.ily  of  Christian  believers;  "tenderhearted," 
"humbleminded" ;  "not  rendering  evil  for  evil,  or  reviling 
for  reviling;  but  contrariwise  blessing;  for  hereunto  were 
ye  called,  that  ye  should  inherit  a  blessing."  Earlier  in 
his  letter  Peter  has  suggested  that  we  are  "called"  to 
unmerited  sufferings;  he  is  to  emphasize  that  truth  later 
in  this  paragraph;  but  he  first  reminds  us  that  the  issue 
will  be  blessing,  and  that  we  are  as  truly  heirs  of  happiness 
as  heirs  of  trial.  Peter  further  reminds  us  that  life  is  not 
all  hardship,  that  one  who  is  kind  and  humble  and  loving 
will  usually  have  good  days  and  will  be  able  to  secure  peace, 
especially  when  he  trusts  God  who  is  a  righteous  God, 
neither  unconscious  of  the  needs  of  his  people  nor  indiffer- 
ent to  the  sins  of  those  that  do  evil.  This  truth  Peter 
enforces  by  a  quotation  from  the  Thirty-fourth  Psalm, 
which  is  in  itself  a  hymn  of  comfort  for  those  who  suffer 
innocently.  Peter  suggests  that,  usually,  those  who  are 
ardent  lovers  of  good  will  not  be  molested;  no  one  will 
wish  to  injure  them:  "And  who  is  he  that  will  harm  you, 
if  ye  be  zealous  of  that  which  is  good?" 

Nevertheless,  Christians  need  not  be  surprised  at 
persecution;  it  may  come,  even  to  the  most  upright. 
When  it  comes  it  is  to  be  regarded  as  a  possible  channel  of 
blessing:  "But  even  if  ye  should  suffer  for  righteousness' 
sake,  blessed  are  ye:  and  fear  not  their  fear,"  do  not  be 
terrified  by  the  threats  of  such  enemies,  "neither  be 
troubled";   let  the  one  object  of  your  reverential  fear,  of 


74  FIRSr  PETER  I  Peter  3: 8-22 

your  trust,  of  your  love,  be  Christ:  "Sanctify  in  your 
hearts  Christ  as  Lord."  As  to  your  enemies,  be  ready  to 
meet  them  with  intelligent  replies;  they  may  ridicule 
your  beliefs  and  particularly  your  expectations  of  heavenly 
glory,  but  be  "ready  always  to  give  answer  to  every  man 
that  asketh  you  a  reason  concerning  the  hope  that  is  in 
you,  yet  with  meekness  and  fear."  Pride  and  conceit 
will  weaken  your  defense  of  the  Christian  faith;  spiritual 
realities  are  not  capable  of  mathematical  proof;  you  may 
be  confident  of  your  positions,  yet  you  are  not  to  answer 
your  opponents  with  bitterness  and  pride.  The  best  pos- 
sible reply  to  those  who  criticize  your  beliefs  and  malign 
your  character  will  be  given  by  a  life  of  purity  and  sin- 
cerity and  charity:  "having  a  good  conscience:  that, 
wherein  ye  are  spoken  against,  they  may  be  put  to  shame 
who  revile  your  good  manner  of  life  in  Christ."  If 
persecution  is  allowed  to  come,  it  is  better  that  it  shall 
have  no  ground  or  justification  in  your  unkind  words  or 
inconsistent  deeds. 

Persecution  and  distress,  however,  cannot  permanently 
injure  or  impair  the  helpful  influence  of  innocent  sufferers. 
The  example  of  Christ  is  full  of  comfort  and  inspiration. 
His  sufferings,  even  his  death,  only  enlarged  the  sphere  of 
his  activity:  for  while  his  body  was  in  the  tomb,  he  went 
and  preached  to  the  spirits  in  the  underworld,  and  after 
his  resurrection  he  ascended  into  heaven  and  was  given  the 
place  of  supreme  power.  Surely  his  sufferings  were  un- 
deserved: he  "suffered  for  sins  once,  the,  righteous  for  the 
unrighteous";  the  purpose  was  "that  he  might  bring  us 
to  God";  this  great  end  was  achieved,  and  we  now  have 
access  through  him  to  God.  It  could  only  be  achieved  by 
his  death ;  but  even  while  he  continued  under  the  power  of 
death  he  went  to  the  place  of  disembodied  spirits,  or  to 
use  the  words  of  the  Apostles'  Creed,  "he  descended  into 
hell,"  by  which  is  meant,  to  a  "place  of  detention,"  of 
waiting  for  final  judgment;  he  preached  to  "the  spirits 
in  prison,"  that  had  rejected  the  message  of  Noah  in  the 
days  when  the  ark  was  being  built.  In  the  ark  only  eight 
souls  escaped,  saved  by  the  very  water  which  destroyed 
the  impenitent  and  which  purified  the  ancient  world.     So 


I  Peter  3:  8-22      SPECIAL  RELATIONS  75 

we  believers  are  saved  by  the  water  of  baptism,  if  by 
baptism  we  mean  not  a  mere  external  rite  but  a  spiritual 
cleansing  which  ends  the  old  life  of  sin  and  begins  a  new 
life  of  holiness.  Such  salvation  is  communicated  to  us 
by  the  faith  which  is  confessed  at  the  time  of  baptism; 
it  has  been  made  possible  through  the  resurrection  of 
Christ,  who  gives  new  life  to  believers.  Thus  the  un- 
merited suflferings  of  Christ  resulted  not  only  in  his  preach- 
ing to  the  imprisoned  dead,  but,  as  he  rose  from  the  dead, 
in  giving  eternal  life  to  all  who  trust  him ;  the  further  re- 
sult is  again  voiced  by  the  Creed:  "He  ascended  into 
heaven,  and  sitteth  on  the  right  hand  of  God  the  Father 
Almighty." 

This  whole  passage,  which  speaks  of  preaching  to  "the 
spirits  in  prison,"  is  full  of  difficulty  and  mystery.  Many 
interpretations  have  been  attempted;  they  differ  as  to  the 
time  and  place  and  substance  and  results  of  this  preaching. 
A  popular  view  is  that  which  suggests  that  the  preaching 
was  done  by  Christ,  in  the  person  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  in 
the  actual  days  of  Noah,  and  not  between  the  death  and 
the  resurrection  of  Christ  as  the  words  more  naturally 
suggest.  There  is  less  danger  of  an  incorrect  exposition 
of  the  words  than  in  the  inferences  based  on  the  various 
interpretations.  These  words  do  not  prove  the  existence 
of  purgatory,  or  countenance  the  abuses  connected  with 
the  belief  in  purgatorial  sufferings.  Nor  do  they  support 
the  theory  of  a  "second  chance"  for  all  who  die  in  im- 
penitence. Nor  yet  do  they  give  ground  for  believing 
that  all  men  will  be  saved  whatever  their  earthly  lives 
have  been.  The  teachings  about  purgatory,  and  "second 
probation,"  and  universal  salvation,  are  not  sanctioned 
by  Scripture;  these  are  mere  unwarranted  inferences  from 
statements  which  are  full  of  mystery.  Here  it  is  not  safe 
to  go  beyond  what  is  written.  The  reference  to  "the 
spirits  in  prison"  is  but  a  parenthesis,  an  illustration. 
The  main  teaching  of  the  passage  is  perfectly  simple  and 
plain.  The  purpose  of  the  writer  was  not  to  awaken 
vague  speculations,  but  to  give  practical  encouragement. 
He  assures  us  that  innocent  sufferers  can  sustain  no 
abiding  loss;   if  they  are  united  with  Christ,  even  death 


76  FIRST  PETER  I  Peter  4: 1-6 

will  be  but  gain.  Their  spirits  will  continue  to  live,  they 
"depart"  to  "be  with  Christ";  "absent  from  the  body" 
is  to  be  "at  home  with  the  Lord."  Some  day  the  dead 
will  share  his  resurrection  ^'ictory,  and  will  enjoy  in  all  its 
fullness  his  heavenly  glory. 

/.  Opposed  by  Sinners.     Ch.  4  :  1-6 

1  Forasmuch  then  as  Christ  suffered  in  the  flesh,  arm  ye 
yourselves  also  with  the  same  mind ;  for  he  that  hath  suffered 
in  the  flesh  hath  ceased  from  sin;  2  that  ye  no  longer  should 
live  the  rest  of  your  time  in  the  flesh  to  the  lusts  of  men,  but 
to  the  will  of  God.  3  For  the  time  past  may  suffice  to  have 
wrought  the  desire  of  the  Gentiles,  and  to  have  walked  in 
lasciviousness,  lusts,  winebibbings,  revellings,  carousings, 
and  abominable  idolatries:  4  wherein  they  think  it  strange 
that  ye  run  not  with  them  into  the  same  excess  of  riot,  speak- 
ing evil  of  you:  5  who  shall  give  account  to  him  that  is  ready 
to  judge  the  living  and  the  dead.  6  For  unto  this  end  was 
the  gospel  preacded  even  to  the  dead,  that  they  might  be 
judged  indeed  according  to  men  in  the  flesh,  but  live  accord- 
ing to  God  in  the  spirit. 

The  subject  of  this  paragraph  is  not  new.  Peter  is  still 
considering  the  unmerited  sufferings  to  which  his  readers 
are  compelled  to  vSubmit;  but  here  he  emphasizes  the 
evil  character  of  their  enemies  and  encourages  his  readers 
to  fight  against  their  former  evil  habits  and  the  prevalent 
pagan  vices.  The  memory  of  the  sufferings  of  Christ 
and  their  blessed  issue,  of  which  Peter  had  just  written, 
should  strengthen  believers  for  the  conflict:  "Foras- 
much then  as  Christ  suffered  in  the  flesh,  arm  ye  your- 
selves also  with  the  same  mind."  As  Christ  suffered  from 
the  opposition  of  an  evil  world,  his  followers  should  be 
prepared  for  the  same  experience,  especially  by  the  thought 
of  the  results  of  such  suffering.  These  would  be,  in  the 
case  of  Christians,  moral  purity  and  a  definite  break  with 
sin;  "for  he  that  hath  suffered  in  the  flesh  hath  ceased  from 
sin."  It  is  a  general  law  of  spiritual  life  that  suffering 
purifies;  there  are  exceptions  to  the  rule:  sometimes  it 
hardens  and  embitters;  but  where  it  is  endured  for  the 
sake  of  Christ  and  with  the  memories  of  what  he  endured 
and  thereby  achieved,  it  results  in  a  perfecting  of  character. 


I  Peter  4:  1-6         SPECIAL  RELATIONS  77 

Of  this  general  law,  Peter  here  makes  a  special  application. 
One  whose  sufferings  have  been  caused  by  his  opposition 
to  sin,  by  his  unwillingness  to  imitate  sinners,  has  surely, 
in  so  far,  "ceased  from  sin."  He  is  not  free  from  the 
assaults  of  sin,  but  the  consciousness  of  his  experience,  and 
the  thought  of  Christ,  will  enable  him  to  regard  his  very 
sufferings  as  badges  of  his  fidelity,  as  proofs  of  his  loyalty 
to  his  Master.  He  will  be  reminded  that  the  lines  have 
been  definitely  drawn  and  that  he  now  belongs  to  those 
who  for  the  rest  of  their  lives  are  not  to  be  directed  by 
the  "lusts  of  men,"  but  by  "the  will  of  God." 

We  may  be  encouraged  further  to  "arm"  ourselves 
against  our  sufferings  and  our  temptations,  when  we  re- 
member how  large  a  portion  of  our  time  has  already  been 
spent  in  unholy  living;  as  Peter  says  with  solemn  irony,  it 
"m.ay  suffice,"  or  "it  is  quite  enough."  Not  all  of  his 
readers  may  have  been  guilty  of  the  impurity  and  intem- 
perance and  idolatry  of  which  he  speaks;  yet  even  Jews 
did  fall  into  these  pagan  practices  and  excesses;  but  what- 
ever tlie  conduct  had  been  before  accepting  Christ,  the 
time  remaining  was  all  too  brief  for  the  ser^'ice  of  the 
Master. 

Such  a  new  life  of  holiness  is  sure  to  be  the  occasion  of 
opposition,  of  misinterpretation,  and  of  abuse;  but  the 
final  judge  is  God;  to  him  these  sinful  slanderers  "shall 
give  account";  by  him  those  who  are  being  persecuted  for 
righteousness'  sake  will  be  vindicated;  from  his  judgment 
none  can  escape.  It  will  extend  to  the  dead  as  well  as 
to  the  living.  For  this  reason,  that  the  judgment  might 
be  absolutely  just,  "was  the  gospel  preached  even  to  the 
dead,  that  they  might  be  judged  indeed  according  to  men 
in  the  flesh,"  according  to  their  works  when  on  earth, 
and  as  already  suffering  the  penalty  of  physical  death,  but 
might  "live  according  to  God  in  the  spirit,"  that  is,  might 
be  pardoned  and  become  heirs  of  eternal  life.  The 
reference  here  seems  to  be  to  the  previous  mysterious 
passage  which  spoke  of  the  preaching  to  "the  spirits  in 
prison."  Both  statements  are  obscure;  the  practical 
bearing  is  plain.  Here  the  simple  truth  is  emphasized 
that  all  men,  without  exception,  are  to  be  judged  by  God, 


78  FIRST  PETER  I  Peter  4: 7-11 

a  truth  intended  to  encourage  those  who  are  seeking  to 
keep  from  sin,  and  to  warn  those  by  whom  they  are  op- 
posed. 

g.  Expecting  the  Coming  of  Christ.     Ch.  4  :  7-11 

7  But  the  end  of  all  things  is  at  hand:  be  ye  therefore  of 
sound  mind,  and  be  sober  unto  prayer:  8  above  all  things 
being  fervent  in  your  love  among  yourselves ;  for  love  cover- 
eth  a  multitude  of  sins:  9  using  hospitality  one  to  another 
without  murmuring:  10  according  as  each  hath  received  a 
gift,  ministering  it  among  yourselves,  as  good  stewards  of  the 
manifold  grace  of  God;  11  if  any  man  speaketh,  speaking 
as  it  were  oracles  of  God;  if  any  man  ministereth,  minster ing 
as  of  the  strength  which  God  supplieth:  that  in  all  things  God 
may  be  glorified  through  Jesus  Christ,  whose  is  the  glory 
and  the  dominion  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen. 

The  return  of  our  Lord  has  always  furnished  the  supreme 
motive  for  consistent  Christian  living.  Thus  when  Peter  has 
given  special  exhortations  to  right  conduct  as  citizens,  serv- 
ants, wives,  and  innocent  sufferers,  he  closes  this  section  of 
his  epistle  with  a  series  of  general  exhortations  based  on  the 
hope  of  the  coming  of  Christ:  "But  the  end  of  all  things 
is  at  hand:  be  ye  therefore  of  sound  mind,  and  be  sober 
unto  prayer."  To  be  "of  sound  mind"  denotes  "self- 
control";  this  quality  together  with  clearness  and  sobriety 
of  mind,  are  urged  in  order  that  prayer  may  not  be  inter- 
rupted. It  should  be  noted  that  a  very  different  state  of 
mind  is  too  frequently  associated  with  the  expectation  of 
the  return  of  Christ.  Fear,  idle  curiosity,  restless  excite- 
ment, neglect  of  duty,  too  commonly  attend  popular 
teaching  concerning  the  second  advent.  This  has  been 
caused  by  false  statements  relative  to  the  time  of  the  ad- 
vent and  by  neglecting  the  consideration  of  events  which 
are  predicted  as  preceding  the  return  of  Christ.  How  soon 
these  predictions  may  be  fulfilled  no  one  can  tell.  _  They 
may  occur  in  any  generation.  Their  consummation,  in 
the  appearing  of  Christ,  is  the  supreme  hope  of  the  Church; 
but  the  expectation  should  inspire  us  to  a  faithful  per- 
formance of  duty  in  the  State,  in  society,  in  the  family, 
and  in  the  Church.  Christians  should  be  self-controlled, 
sober,  and  prayerful. 


I  Peter  4:  7-11      SPECIAL  RELATIONS  79 

Further  they  should  be  "fervent  in  .  .  .  love"  among 
themselves — this  in  view  of  the  return  of  Christ — and  such 
love  should  be  "persevering"  because  it  covers  "a  multi- 
tude of  sins,"  which  probably  means  that  it  covers  the 
sins  of  others,  is  generous  and  forgiving. 

Two  special  manifestations  of  love  are  now  mentioned: 
first,  "hospitality"  and  secondly,  the  use  of  talents.  In 
the  early  Church  the  grace  of  "hospitality"  was  much 
emphasized ;  it  did  not  denote  the  entertainment  of 
friends  but  the  relief  of  travelers;  as  inns  were  rare  and 
poor,  as  the  extension  of  the  Church  depended  upon  the 
work  of  itinerant  evangelists,  the  need  of  receiving  stran- 
gers into  their  homes  was  apparent  to  all  Christians;  3^et 
it  did  require  love,  it  did  offer  occasions  for  imposition,  for 
resentment,  and  for  murmuring. 

Secondly,  love  was  demanded  in  the  use  of  special 
talents;  these  were  to  be  regarded  as  trusts  committed  to 
Christians  as  stewards,  to  be  used  for  the  benefit  of  others 
and  for  which  they  were  to  render  an  account  to  their  Lord. 
Thus  if  a  man  exercised  the  gift  of  public  speech,  he  should 
do  so  not  in  such  a  way  as  to  win  praise  for  himself,  but 
so  as  to  help  others,  and  he  should  speak  as  one  who  was 
uttering  messages  which  were  not  his  own  but  which  had 
been  given  him  by  God.  So,  too,  in  caring  for  the  poor,  or 
sick,  or  needy,  one  should  show  no  pride  or  patronage,  but 
should  humbly  acknowledge  that  his  ability  for  doing 
good  had  been  entrusted  to  him  by  God.  Thus  Christians 
were  in  all  things  to  seek  not  their  own  glory  but  the  glory 
of  God  through  Jesus  Christ,  to  whom  should  be  ascribed 
the  glory  and  the  dominion  forever  and  ever. 


80  FIRST  PETER  I  Peter  4: 12-19 


5.  Exhortations  in  View  of  Special  Trials. 
Ch.  4  :  12  to  5  :  11 

a.  Exhortation  to  Steadfastness  in  Suffering.     Ch.  4  :  12-19 

12  Beloved,  think  it  not  strange  concerning  the  fiery  trial 
among  you,  which  cometh  upon  you  to  prove  you,  as  though  a 
strange  thing  happened  unto  you:  13  but  insomuch  as  ye  are 
partakers  of  Christ's  sufferings,  rejoice;  that  at  the  revela- 
tion of  his  glory  also  ye  may  rejoice  with  exceeding  joy.  14 
If  ye  are  reproached  for  the  name  of  Christ,  blessed  are  ye; 
because  the  Spirit  of  glory  and  the  Spirit  of  God  resteth  upon 
you.  15  For  let  none  of  you  suffer  as  a  murderer,  or  a  thief, 
or  an  evil-doer,  or  as  a  meddler  in  other  men's  matters: 
16  but  if  a  man  suffer  as  a  Christian,  let  him  not  be  ashamed; 
but  let  him  glorify  God  in  this  name.  17  For  the  time  is 
come  for  judgment  to  begin  at  the  house  of  God:  and  if 
it  begin  first  at  us,  what  shall  be  the  end  of  them  that  obey 
not  the  gospel  of  God?  18  And  if  the  righteous  is  scarcely 
saved,  where  shall  the  ungodly  and  sinner  appear?  19 
Wherefore  let  them  also  that  suffer  according  to  the  will  of 
God  commit  their  souls  in  well-doing  unto  a  faithful  Creator. 

Here  Peter  begins  the  third  series  of  the  exhortations 
which  compose  the  epistle.  The  first  were  in  view  of  the 
special  privileges  his  readers  were  enjoying,  the  second 
in  view  of  their  special  relations  in  the  State  and  in  society; 
these  are  given  in  view  of  the  sufferings  they  are  called  to 
endure.  All  in  the  series  are  closely  united,  and  partic- 
ularly by  the  mention  of  sufferings  made  in  each  of  the  two 
preceding  divisions  and  only  further  emphasized  In  this 
last.  In  every  case,  too,  the  great  incentive  to  steadfast 
endurance  is  found  in  the  hope  of  the  return  of  Christ,  and 
in  the  deliverance  and  glory  which  he  will  bring. 

The  sufferings  are  here  described  as  a  "fiery  trial,"  an 
ordeal,  a  trial  by  fire:  "Beloved,  think  it  not  strange  con- 
cerning the  fiery  trial  among  you."  Christians  should 
expect  persecution  and  suffering;  they  should  not  be  sur- 
prised by  trials  or  regard  them  as  something  foreign  to 
their  lot;  these  trials  were  testing  their  faith  and  purifying 


I  Peter  4:  12-19         SPECIAL  TRIALS  81 

their  characters.  If  the  Master  was  made  to  endure  suf- 
ferings, it  should  not  be  regarded  as  strange  that  his  serv- 
ants were  compelled  to  endure  the  same;  they  should 
rejoice  because,  as  they  trusted  him  and  were  persecuted 
for  his  sake,  they  were  really  "partakers  of  Christ's  suffer- 
ings." Such  courage  should  be  shown  in  order  that  when 
Christ  appeared  they  might  enjoy  a  truer  rapture  and 
exaltation:  "that  at  the  revelation  of  his  glor^^  also  ye  may 
rejoice  with  exceeding  joy."  Fellowship  in  the  sufferings 
of  Christ  is  to  be  regarded  confidently  as  an  assurance  of 
partnership  in  his  glory:  "If  ye  are  reproached  for  the 
name  of  Christ,  blessed  are  ye;  because  the  Spirit  of  glory 
and  the  Spirit  of  God  resteth  upon  you";  if,  that  is,  you 
suffer  for  bearing  the  name  of  Christ,  and  for  a  life  con- 
sistent with  such  a  profession;  for  such  a  life  is  possible 
only  by  the  power  of  his  divine  Spirit,  and  as  this  is  also  the 
"Spirit  of  glory"  his  present  manifestation  is  an  assurance 
of  the  perfected  glory  you  will  enjoy  at  the  appearing  of 
Christ.  On  the  other  hand  one  must  be  certain  that  his 
sufferings  are  not  deserved:  "For  let  none  of  you  suffer 
as  a  murderer,  or  a  thief,  or  an  evil-doer,  or  as  a  meddler 
in  other  men's  matters."  The  last  phrase  is  a  peculiar 
one  and  may  possibly  mean  "one  who  busies  himself  about 
matters  not  befitting  a  Christian."  "But  if  a  man  suffer  as 
a  Christian,  let  him  not  be  ashamed;  but  let  him  glorify 
God  in  this  name." 

A  second  reason  for  steadfastness  is  found  in  the  fact 
that  these  sufferings  are  to  be  viewed  as  an  actual  beginning 
of  the  judgment  coming  upon  the  world  at  the  return  of 
Christ;  the  "fiery  trial"  was  a  herald  of  coming  deliver- 
ance. Such  the  mold  of  prophecy  has  ever  been;  and  as 
our  Lord  predicted,  in  the  midst  of  a  "great  tribulation," 
which  develops  out  of  these  age-long  trials  and  sufferings, 
when  there  is  "distress  of  nations,"  when  "the  powers  of 
the  heavens  shall  be  shaken,  .  .  then  shall  they  see  the 
Son  of  man  coming  in  a  cloud  with  power  and  great  glory. 
But  when  these  things  begin  to  come  to  pass,  look  up,  and 
lift  up  your  heads;  because  your  redemption  draweth 
nigh."  This  seems  to  be  the  meaning  of  Peter  in  saying 
"For  the  time  is  come  for  judgment  to  begin  at  the  house 


82  FIRST  PETER  I  Peter  5: 1-4 

of  God",  for  the  people  of  his  household,  for  the  very 
readers  of  this  letter,  sufferings  have  already  begun.  How- 
ever, if  Christians  now  suffer,  what  then  will  be  the  fate  of 
unbelievers;  and  "if  the  righteous,"  the  follower  of 
Christ,  "is  scarcely  saved,"  that  is,  only  after  enduring 
such  sufferings  and  tribulation,  "where  shall  the  ungodly 
and  sinner  appear,"  what  will  be  their  doom?  Therefore, 
in  view  of  the  sure  deliverance  which  is  coming  "let  them 
also  that  suffer  according  to  the  will  of  God  commit  their 
souls  in  well-doing  unto  a  faithful  Creator."  Let  us  sub- 
mit to  his  will  and  seek  to  do  his  will,  trusting  that  through 
all  the  mystery  of  suffering  he  cares  for  his  own. 

b.  Exhortation  to  Fidelity.     Ch.  5  :  1-4 

1  The  elders  therefore  among  you  I  exhort,  who  am  a 
fellow-elder,  and  a  witness  of  the  sufferings  of  Christ,  who 
am  also  a  partaker  of  the  glory  that  shall  be  revealed:  2 
Tend  the  flock  of  God  which  is  among  you,  exercising  the 
oversight,  not  of  constraint,  but  willingly,  according  to  the 
will  of  God;  not  yet  for  filthy  lucre,  but  of  a  ready  mind; 
3  neither  as  lording  it  over  the  charge  allotted  to  you,  but 
making  yourselves  ensamples  to  the  flock.  4  And  when  the 
chief  Shepherd  shall  be  manifested,  ye  shall  receive  the  crown 
of  glory  that  fadeth  not  away. 

In  times  of  trial  the  task  of  religious  teachers  is  one  of 
peculiar  responsibility;  a  congregation  in  distress  has 
special  need  of  pastoral  care.  Thus,  when  Peter  has  urged 
his  readers  to  steadfastness  in  suffering,  he  now  turns  to 
the  officers  of  the  Church  to  urge  upon  them  faithfulness 
in  the  discharge  of  their  duties.  These  officers  are  called 
"elders,"  a  name  given  at  first  to  all  who  exercised  rule 
and  authority  among  the  Christians;  it  is  identical  with 
the  word  "bishop"  as  in  the  next  verse  these  officers  are 
described  as  "exercising  the  oversight"  or,  literally,  "doing 
the  work  of  bishops";  the  word  "elder"  suggests  the  mature 
age  which  qualified  one  for  the  office;  the  word  "bishop" 
indicates  the  duties  of  the  office  as  being  those  of 
spiritual  oversight;  another  identical  term  is  "presbyter," 
and  the  band  of  elders  formed  the  "presbytery,"  or  Church 
court.     Peter  here  describes  himself  as  "a  fellow-elder," 


I  Peter  5: 5-11  SPECIAL  TRIALS  83 

to  appeal  to  their  affection;  but  to  indicate  his  authority 
he  declares  that  from  personal  observation  he  is  one  who 
bears  testimony  to  the  sufferings  of  Christ  and  who  is  to  be 
"a  partaker  of  the  glory  that  shall  be  revealed"  when 
Christ  returns. 

In  his  exhortation  Peter  indicates  another  title  of  these 
"elders"  or  "bishops,"  namely,  "pastors":  "Tend  the 
flock  of  God  which  is  among  you,"  fill  the  office  of  spiritual 
shepherds,  not  as  a  mere  matter  of  necessary,  professional 
duty,  but  with  a  willing  mind,  as  serving  God,  not  like 
hirelings  for  the  mere'earning  of  the  salary  you  are  paid,  but 
gladly  and  eagerly,  not  acting  as  lords  and  tyrants  in  the 
congregation  entrusted  to  you,  but  making  yourselves 
examples  for  the  flock;  your  earthly  recompense  may  be 
small,  but  when  Christ,  "the  chief  Shepherd"  shall  appear, 
then  you  "shall  receive  the  crown  of  glory  that  fadeth  not 
away." 

c.  Exhortations  to  Humility,  Trust,  Vigilance,  and  Constancy.     Ch.  5  :  5-11 

5  Likewise,  ye  younger,  be  subject  unto  the  elder.  Yea, 
all  of  you  gird  yourselves  with  hiumlity,  to  serve  one  another: 
for  God  resisteth  the  proud,  but  giveth  grace  to  the  humble. 
6  Humble  yourselves  therefore  under  the  mighty  hand  of 
God,  that  he  may  exalt  you  in  due  time;  7  casting  all  your 
anxiety  upon  him,  because  he  careth  for  you.  8  Be  sober, 
be  watchful:  your  adversary  the  devil,  as  a  roaring  lion, 
walketh  about,  seeking  whom  he  may  devoiur:  9  whom  with- 
stand stedfast  in  your  faith,  knowing  that  the  same  sufferings 
are  accomplished  in  your  brethren  who  are  in  the  world.  10 
And  the  God  of  all  grace,  who  called  you  unto  his  eternal 
glory  in  Christ,  after  tiiat  ye  have  suffered  a  little  while,  shall 
himself  perfect,  establish,  strengthen  you.  11  To  him  be 
the  dominion  for  ever  and  ever.    Amen. 

The  word  "elder"  may  denote  either  a  Church  officer  or 
a  man  advanced  in  years.  In  the  last  paragraph  it  meant 
the  former,  here  it  possibly  means  the  latter.  Younger 
persons  are  urged  to  render  respectful  obedience  to  Church 
officers,  or  to  Christians  who  possess  the  maturity  and 
wisdom  of  age.  In  fact  all  Christians  are  urged  to  "gird 
themselves"  with  "humility,"  probably  as  with  the  "garb 
of  slaves,"  to  be  ready  to  render  to  one  another  every  pos- 


84  FIRST  PETER  I  Peter  5:5-11 

sible  serv^ice,  as  the  garment  of  humility  is  always  an  essen- 
tial equipment  for  wide  helpfulness.  Especially  toward 
God  is  humility  to  be  shown:  "Humble  yourselves  .  .  . 
under  the  mighty  hand  of  God,  that  he  may  exalt  you  in 
due  time";  it  is  in  his  mysterious  providence  that 
afflictions  come,  but  his  power  also  brings  deliverance  in 
his  appointed  time.  We  are  to  look  to  him  in  humble 
trust,  casting  the  whole  burden  of  our  anxiety  upon  him, 
believing  that  he  lovingly  cares  for  us. 

"Casting  all  .  .  .  anxiety  upon  him"  does  not  relieve 
us,  however,  from  the  responsibility  of  being  watchful 
against  temptation.  The  Christian  must  be  "sober" 
and  "watchful"  because  his  "adversary  the  devil,  as  a  roar- 
ing lion,  walketh  about,  seeking  whom  he  may  devour." 
This  graphic  figure  of  speech  may  indicate  some  of  the 
peculiar  temptations  of  the  readers,  the  opposition  of  their 
adversaries,  the  false  charges  of  their  slanderers;  but  it 
also  symbolizes  the  cruelty  and  the  craft,  the  restless 
activity  and  terrifying  threats,  which  ever  characterize 
the  foul  Tempter,  the  enemy  of  our  souls.  We  are  en- 
couraged on  two  grounds  to  oppose  this  enemy,  with  stead- 
fast loyalty  to  Christ,  with  unshaken  constancy  of  faith: 
first,  because  our  trials  and  temptations  are  common  to 
the  whole  brotherhood  of  Christians,  they  are  not  peculiar 
to  us,  they  are  being  courageously  endured  and  resisted  by 
countless  others;  and  secondly,  because  God,  the  Author 
of  all  grace,  who  called  us  "unto  his  eternal  glory  in 
Christ,"  after  the  comparatively  brief  time  of  our  distress, 
will  himself  make  us  perfect  through  our  sufferings,  will 
make  us  so  firm  in  the  faith  that  we  shall  be  shaken  by  no 
alarms,  will  give  us  such  spiritual  strength  that  we  shall 
never  be  overcome;  all  power  is  his,  he  will  supply  our 
every  need:  "To  him  be  the  dominion  for  ever  and  ever. 
Amen." 


I  Peter  5:  12-14       THE  CONCLUSION  85 


6.  The  Conclusion.    Ch.  5  :  12-14 

a.  The  Bearer  and  Purpose  of  the  Letter.    Ch.  5  :  12 

12  By  Silvanus,  our  faithful  brother,  as  I  accoimt  /z/m,  I 
have  written  unto  you  briefly,  exhorting,  and  testifying  that 
this  is  the  true  grace  of  God :  stand  ye  fast  therein. 

In  his  closing  sentences,  Peter  first mentionsSilvanus,  to 
whom  he  had  dictated  the  letter,  and  by  whom,  possibly,  it 
was  being  sent.  He  will  be  remembered  by  the  name  of 
"Silas"  or  "Silvanus,"  as  the  trusted  companion  whom  Paul 
had  chosen  for  his  second  great  missionary  journey; 
he  has  won  the  like  confidence  of  Peter,  and  is  here  de- 
scribed as  his  "faithful"  Christian  "brother." 

Peter  next  describes  his  letter  as  being  very  brief  in 
comparison  with  all  he  should  like  to  write,  and  as  contain- 
ing not  only  serious  exhortations  but  also  a  solemn  attes- 
tation that  the  faith,  held  by  his  readers  is  "the  true  grace 
of  God" ;  this  grace  should  be  shown  in  the  conduct  he  has 
prescribed;  in  this  faith  he  urges  them  to  "stand  .  .  .  fast." 

b.  The  Salutation  and  Benediction.     Ch.  5  :  13,  14 

13  She  that  is  in  Babylon,  elect  together  with  you,  saluteth 
you;  and  so  doth  Mark  my  son.  14  Salute  one  another  with 
a  kiss  of  love. 

Peace  be  unto  you  all  that  are  in  Christ. 

In  the  closing  salutation  the  phrase,  "she  that  is  in 
Babylon,"  has  been  the  occasion  of  endless  conjecture  and 
discussion.  It  has  been  considered  by  many  to  be  mystical 
and  symbolical  and  to  mean  "the  Church  in  Rome," 
since  Rome  was  regarded  as  like  Babylon  in  its  opposition 
to  the  people  and  the  cause  of  God.  The  importance  of 
the  theory  consists  in  the  fact  that  it  affords  the  only 
Scriptural  support  for  the  tradition  that  Peter  visited 
Rome,  and  wrote  this  epistle  from  that  imperial  city. 
That  "Babylon"  is  used  figuratively  is,  however,  a  mere 
conjecture  and  never  has  been  proved.    With  this  saluta- 


86  FIRST  PETER  I  Peter  5: 12-14 

tion  Peter  adds  another  from  Mark,  the  early  companion 
of  Paul  and  Barnabas,  the  author  of  the  Second  Gospel; 
he  is  affectionately  called  a  "son,"  a  spiritual  child  of 
Peter,  by  whom  probably  he  had  been  brought  to  Christ. 
After  urging  the  members  of  the  Church  to  greet  one 
another  with  the  kiss  of  charity  to  signify  their  brotherly 
love,  Peter  closes  his  epistle  with  the  prayer  and  benedic- 
tion: "Peace  be  unto  you  all  that  are  in  Christ." 


SECOND  EPISTLE  OF  PETER  87 


THE    SECOND    EPISTLE   OF 

PETER 

While  serious  doubt  has  been  felt  as  to  the  authorship 
of  this  epistle,  it  is  most  probable  that  it  should  be  assigned 
to  the  apostle  whose  name  it  bears.  He  was  now  far 
advanced  in  years.  Long  before,  when  the  risen  Lord  met 
his  disciples  in  the  morning  twilight  by  the  sea,  he  pre- 
dicted that  Peter,  when  old,  would  endure  martyrdom 
for  the  sake  of  his  Master  whom  he  was  bidden  to  follow 
not  only  in  service  but  in  suffering.  The  day  of  supreme 
testing  was  at  hand,  as  he  penned  this  epistle.  "The 
putting  off  of  my  tabernacle  cometh  swiftly,"  he  writes, 
"even  as  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  signified  unto  me."  How- 
ever he  sounds  no  note  of  despondency,  fear,  or  gloom ;  his 
message,  like  that  of  his  First  Epistle,  is  radiant  with  hope. 
His  thought  is  centered  upon  the  coming  of  Christ;  he 
still  rejoices  to  think  of  the  time  "when  the  chief  Shepherd 
shall  be  manifested"  from  whom  he  would  receive  "the 
crown  of  glory  that  fadeth  not  away."  Something  of  the 
splendor  of  that  crowning  day  he  now  declares  was  wit- 
nessed by  him  on  the  holy  mount,  when  he  saw  the  trans- 
figured Christ;  long  years  have  passed,  but  the  vivid 
memory'  of  that  "Majestic  Glor>^"  is  set  forth  as  a  ground 
of  his  present,  triumphant  faith.  The  writer  further 
declares  of  himself  that  he  has  written  a  previous  epistle 
of  a  somewhat  similar  character;  that  he  is  on  intimate 
terms  with  Paul,  whom  he  calls  "our  beloved  brother," 
and  with  whose  letters  he  declares  himself  familiar.  Surely 
it  is  idle  to  conjecture  who  this  writer  may  have  been  if 
he  was  not  Peter  the  apostle,  whom  its  references  so  defi- 
nitely depict. 

The  readers,  then,  would  be  the  same  as  those  of  the 
previous  epistle,  the  Christian  converts  scattered  through- 
out various  provinces  of  what  is  now  known  as  Asia  Minor. 
Their  condition,  however,  is  now   different,  or  their   cir- 


88  SECOND  EPISTLE  OF  PETER 

cumstances  are  somewhat  altered.  The  particular  perils 
by  which  they  are  threatened  are  not  from  without  but 
from  within  the  churches.  Their  dangers  are  not  from  the 
persecutions  of  Jews  and  pagans,  but  from  the  pernicious 
influences  of  professed  Christians,  "false  teachers"  who 
have  appeared,  who  are  increasing  in  number,  who  deny 
the  Lord  not  only  by  their  doctrines  but  by  their  impure 
and  unholy  lives.  The  truth  which  they  attack  particu- 
larly is  that  of  the  return  of  Christ,  and  their  conduct 
corresponds  with  their  unbelief;  because  of  his  long  delay 
they  mock  at  "the  promise  of  his  coming,"  "walking  after 
their  own  lusts." 

To  warn  against  such  errors  in  teaching  and  to  exhort  to 
holiness  in  living,  this  epistle  was  written.  Its  supreme 
word  is  "knowledge."  As  the  source  is  in  God,  as  the 
chief  object  is  Christ,  as  it  is  associated  with  "grace," 
this  "knowledge"  is  not  merely  a  mental  but  also  a  spirit- 
ual attainment.  It  can  be  increased  by  the  practice  of 
Christian  virtues,  and  the  readers  are  urged  to  "grow  in  the 
grace  and  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ."  The  special  truth,  however,  with  wliich  this 
"knowledge"  is  here  concerned  is  that  which  the  false 
teachers  deny,  namely,  the  return  of  Christ.  This  truth  is 
shown  to  be  attested  both  by  the  transfiguration  glory  of 
Christ  and  the  word  of  inspired  prophecy;  the  punish- 
ment of  the  false  teachers  is  set  forth  and  their  character 
definitely  described ;  the  certainty  of  the  coming  of  Christ 
and  its  attendant  judgments  are  affirmed;  and  the  plea 
is  made  for  such  conduct  and  character  on  the  part  of 
believers  as  may  be  worthy  of  their  faith  and  hope. 

It  may  be  helpful  to  suggest  for  the  three  chapters  of 
this  epistle  the  following  outline: 

1.  The  Knowledge  of  Christ.     II  Peter,  ch.  1. 

a.  The  Salutation:  The  Gift  of  Knowledge.     Ch.  1  :  1-4. 

b.  The  Exhortation:    The  Growth  of  Knowledge.     Ch. 
1:5-11. 

c.  The    Promise:     The    Grounds    of    Knowledge.     Ch, 
1  :  12-21. 


SECOND  EPISTLE  OF  PETER  89 

2.  The  Teachers  of  Error.     Ch.  2. 

a.  Their  Punishment.     Ch.  2  :  1-9. 

h.  Their  Character  and  Conduct.     Ch.  2  :  10-16. 

c.  Their  Evil  Influence.     Ch.  2  :  17-22. 

3.  The  Coming  of  Christ.     Ch.  3. 

a.  The  Certainty.     Ch.  3  :  1-7. 

h.  The  Time  and  Circumstances.     Ch.  3  :  8-13. 

c.  The  Consequent  Exhortations.     Ch.  3  :  14-18. 


90  SECOND  PETER  II  Peter  1: 1-4 


1.  The  Knowledge  of  Christ.     II  Peter,  ch.  1 

a.  The  Salutation:   The  Gift  of  Knowledge.    Ch.  1  :  1-4 

1  Simon  Peter,  a  servant  and  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,  to 
them  that  have  obtained  a  like  precious  faith  with  us  in  the 
righteousness  of  our  God  and  the  Saviour  Jesus  Christ:  2 
Grace  to  you  and  peace  be  multiplied  in  the  knowledge  of  God 
and  of  Jesus  our  Lord ;  3  seeing  that  his  divine  power  hath 
granted  imto  us  all  things  that  pertain  unto  life  and  godliness, 
through  the  knowledge  of  him  that  called  us  by  his  own  glory 
and  virtue ;  4  whereby  he  hath  granted  unto  us  his  precious 
and  exceeding  great  promises;  that  through  these  ye  may 
become  partakers  of  the  divine  nature,  having  escaped  from 
the  corruption  that  is  in  the  world  by  lust. 

It  is  possible  that  as  Peter  calls  himself  "Simon"  he  may 
have  had  in  mind  the  early  days  before  he  met  Jesus,  when 
that  was  his  familiar  name.  It  is  also  possible  that,  as  he 
calls  himself  an  "apostle,"  he  may  have  wished  to  suggest 
his  authority  as  a  man  specially  commissioned  by  his  Lord, 
and  also,  that,  as  he  calls  himself  "a  bondservant  .  .  . 
of  Jesus  Christ,"  he  may  have  wished  thus  to  place  him- 
self upon  an  equality  with  his  readers.  This  last  purpose 
was  surely  accomplished  by  the  beautiful  phrase  in  which 
these  readers  are  addressed.  Here  he  not  only  appeals 
to  their  sympathy  by  a  touch  of  tactful  courtesy,  but  he 
gives  a  message  to  Christians  of  all  times  by  a  stroke  of 
spiritual  insight.  He  writes  "to  them  that  have  obtained  a 
like  precious  faith  with  us  in  the  righteousness  of  our  God 
and  the  Saviour  Jesus  Christ."  That  is,  faith  gives 
exactly  the  same  spiritual  privileges  to  all,  whether  the 
most  famous  of  apostles  or  the  most  obscure  of  believers; 
this  faith  is  "obtained  by  lot"  or  given  by  the  grace  and 
mercy  of  God,  without  any  desert  or  merit  of  man;  it 
brings  with  it  equal  privileges  because  of  the  absolute 
justice  or  "righteousness  of  our  God  and  the  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ." 

The  salutation,  "Grace  to  you  and  peace  be  multiplied," 
is  quite  familiar  in  form,  but  it  is  connected  with  a  unique 
phrase  and  one  which  sounds  the  keynote  of  the  epistle: 


II  Peter  1:5-7  KNOWLEDGE  91 

"in  the  knowledge  of  God  and  of  Jesus  our  Lord."  This 
"knowledge"  is  the  channel  of  "grace,"  it  is  the  ground  of 
"peace,"  it  is  the  means  of  salvation,  it  is  the  instrument  of 
all  blessings.  Peter  writes  to  remind  Christians  of  the 
content  of  this  knowledge,  to  warn  them  of  apostate  teach- 
ers who  are  opposing  it  in  the  interests  of  a  false  "knowl- 
edge," to  encourage  them  to  value  and  to  develop  this  true 
knowledge  of  God  and  of  Christ.  Peter  is  therefore  pray- 
ing that  "grace,"  the  divine  source  of  all  blessings,  and 
"peace,"  the  deepest  experience  of  the  soul,  may  be  in- 
creased, by  and  in  this  knowledge;  and  he  prays  with  con- 
fidence, knowing  that,  or  "seeing  that,"  the  "divine  power" 
of  God  "hath  granted  unto  us  all  things  that  pertain  unto 
life  and  godliness,"  through  this  knowledge,  which  is  here 
defined  as  a  knowledge  of  Christ  "that  called  us  by  his 
own  glory  and  virtue."  All  that  we  need  for  the  nurture 
of  spiritual  life  and  for  the  development  of  godliness  has 
been  given  to  us  in  our  knowledge  of  Christ  who  has  at- 
tracted us  to  be  his  followers  by  the  manifestation  of  his 
own  moral  excellence  and  goodness.  These  excellences 
of  their  Lord  awake  in  believers  a  hope  of  attaining  to  his 
likeness,  they  assure  them  of  the  certain  enjoyment  of  all 
the  pardon  and  peace  and  future  blessedness  of  which  the 
Saviour  has  spoken,  even  "his  precious  and  exceeding 
great  promises,"  including  his  glorious  return  to  which 
this  epistle  continually  refers.  It  is  the  purpose  of  God 
that,  through  a  knowledge  of  these  promises  and  by 
cherishing  them  in  faith,  we  may  not  only  escape  the 
moral  corruption  and  decay  which  pervade  the  world 
because  of  evil  desires  and  preverted  passions,  but  that 
also  we  may  attain  to  his  likeness,  developing  more  and 
more  of  his  holiness  and  purity  and  love,  being  ''trans- 
formed" into  his  image  by  the  power  of  his  indwelling 
Spirit. 

b.  The  Exhortation:  The  Growth  of  Knowledge.    Ch.  1:5-11 

5  Yea,  and  for  this  very  cause  adding  on  your  part  all 
diligence,  in  your  faith  supply  virtue;  and  in  your  virtue 
knowledge;  6  and  in  your  knowledge  self-control;  and  in 
your  self-control  patience;  and  in  your  patience  godliness; 
7  and  in  your  godliness  brotherly  kindness;    and  in  your 


92  SECOND  PETER  II  Peter  1:8-11 

brotherly  kindness  love.  8  For  if  these  things  are  yours  and 
abound,  they  make  you  to  be  not  idle  nor  unfruitful  unto  the 
knowledge  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  9  For  he  that  lacketh 
these  things  is  blind,  seeing  only  what  is  near,  having  for- 
gotten the  cleansing  from  his  old  sins.  10  Wherefore,  breth- 
ren, give  the  more  diligence  to  make  your  calling  and  election 
sure:  for  if  ye  do  these  things,  ye  shall  never  stumble:  11 
for  thus  shall  be  richly  supplied  unto  you  the  entrance  into 
the  eternal  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ. 

In  view  of  the  faith  which  God  has  graciously  given,  in 
view  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ  which  they  possess,  in 
view  of  the  fact  that  they  are  "partakers  of  the  divine 
nature,"  the  readers  are  now  urged  to  strive  for  such 
growth  in  Christian  virtues,  for  such  a  development  of 
spiritual  graces,  that  their  knowledge  and  faith  shall  be 
"not  idle  nor  unfruitful."  The  suggestion  seems  to  be 
that  knowledge  will  thus  be  increased,  that  knowing  will 
come  by  doing;  that  the  condition  of  receiving  more  light 
is  a  faithful  use  of  the  light  one  has;  that  strenuous 
exercise  of  Christian  graces  results  in  a  fuller  comprehen- 
sion of  spiritual  truth. 

In  the  beautiful  list  of  graces  which  Peter  here  exhibits, 
each  grace  apparently  grows  out  of  the  preceding  grace, 
and  in  turn  becomes  the  soil  or  atmosphere  in  which  the 
next  is  nourished,  while  all  are  rooted  in  "faith."  Never- 
theless, the  growth  is  not  spontaneous;  on  our  part  there 
is  demanded  the  expenditure  of  toil  and  effort.  God  has 
granted  us  the  new  life;  but  like  a  divine  germ  it  needs  to 
be  developed  by  the  earnest  care  which  we  are  to  "bring 
in  by  the  side  of"  the  divine  gift;  we  are  to  add  on  our 
part  "all  diligence";  progress  in  Christian  living  is  made 
only  by  cooperation  of  the  human  will  with  the  divine. 

"In  your  faith  supply  virtue";  this  is  not  the  same  as 
"add  to  your  faith  virtue";  but,  as  above  suggested, 
"with  and  by  your  faith  supply  virtue";  "faith"  is  the 
source  and  gives  the  power  by  which  "virtue"  is  to  be 
developed;  "faith  without  works  is  dead,"  but  it  shows 
itself  to  be  living  and  real  when  it  produces  "moral 
excellence";  real  trust  in  Christ  and  true  belief  in  him  will 
always  issue  in  right  conduct,  or  "virtue." 


II  Peter  1:5-11  KNOWLEDGE  93. 

So  "virtue"  in  turn  is  to  develop  "knowledge,"  \yhich 
here  means  "practical  skill  in  the  details  of  Christian 
duty"  rather  than  the  knowledge  of  God  and  of  Christ 
which  in  the  previous  section  were  used  ver>^  much  in  the 
sense  of  "faith."  "And  in  your  knowledge  [supply]  self- 
control,"  according  to  which,  in  all  the  experiences  of  life, 
reason  governs  passion;  "and  in  your  self-control  pa- 
tience," or  "endurance,"  for  while  "self-control"  enables 
one  to  curb  his  desires,  patience  gives  him  power  stead- 
fastly to  endure  evils  which  press  upon  him  from  without; 
"and  in  your  patience  godliness,"  which  characterizes  the 
life  of  one  who  continually  lives  "as  seeing  him  who  is 
invisible";  "and  in  your  godliness  brotherly  kindness," 
or  affection  for  fellow  Christians,  "and  in  your  brotherly 
kindness  love"  for  Christ  and  the  whole  world.  The  rela- 
tion of  these  seven  virtues  has  been  thus  stated:  "Faith 
is  the  gift  of  God  already  received ;  to  this  must  be  added 
(1)  moral  strength  which  enables  a  man  to  do  what  he 
knows  to  be  right;  (2)  spiritual  discernment;  (3)  self- 
control  by  which  a  man  resists  temptation;  (4)  endurance 
by  which  he  bears  up  under  persecution  or  adversity; 
(5)  right  feeling  and  behavior  toward  God,  and  (6) 
toward  the  brethren,  and  (7)  toward  all." 

To  the  patient  development  of  these  virtues  we  are 
encouraged  by  the  assurance,  which  forms  the  main 
burden  of  this  paragraph,  that  where  these  are  possessed 
and  are  increasing,  there  one  is  not  idle  or  unfruitful  in 
the  attainment  of  knowledge;  a  diligent  _  practice  of 
Christian  virtues  always  increases  spiritual  insight.  On 
the  other  hand  their  absence  or  neglect  produces,  or  con- 
stitutes, spiritual  blindness  or  nearsightedness:  "For  he 
that  lacketh  these  things  is  blind,  seeing  only  what  is 
near."  It  is  true  that  the  reason  why  things  unseen 
and  eternal  seem  to  us  so  unreal,  is  that  we  are  making  so 
little  effort  toward  moral  and  spiritual  progress.  This 
lack  of  spiritual  perception  may  extend  so  far  that  one 
may  forget  "the  cleansing  from  his  old  sins,"  may  actually 
become  oblivious  of  the  pardon  and  cleansing  in  which 
his  Christian  life  began,  and  of  all  that  God  has  done 
for  him. 


94  SECOND  PETER        II  Peter  1: 12-21 

"Wherefore,  brethren,"  in  view  of  the  possible  increase 
and  the  possible  loss  of  "knowledge,"  and  so  of  the  "salva- 
tion" it  involves,  "give  the  more  diligence  to  make  your 
calling  and  election  sure."  The  divine  choice  and  call 
do  not  make  human  effort  unnecessary.  If,  however,  the 
Christian  graces  are  being  developed,  and  knowledge  is 
enlarging,  "If  ye  do  these  things,  ye  shall  never  stumble.". 
This  does  not  mean  that  the  Christian  will  never  sin,  but 
that  such  patient  effort  toward  progress  will  safeguard  him 
against  faults  and  failings,  and  will  assure  the  completion 
ofhis  journey  to  the  heavenly  city;  he  will  indeed  be  richly 
provided  for  "the  entrance  into  the  eternal  kingdom  of 
our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ." 

c.  The  Promise:  The  Grounds  of  Knowledge.    Ch.  1  :  12-21 

12  Wherefore  I  shall  be  ready  always  to  put  you  in  remem- 
brance of  these  things,  though  ye  know  them,  and  are  estab- 
lished in  the  truth  which  is  with  you.  13  And  I  think  it  right, 
as  long  as  I  am  in  this  tabernacle,  to  stir  you  up  by  by  put- 
ting you  in  remembrance ;  14  knowing  that  the  putting  off  of 
my  tabernacle  cometh  swiftly,  even  as  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
signified  unto  me.  15  Yea,  I  will  give  diligence  tiiat  at  every 
time  ye  may  be  able  after  my  decease  to  call  these  things  to 
remembrance.  16  For  we  did  not  follow  cunningly  devised 
fables,  when  we  made  known  unto  you  the  power  and  coming 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  but  we  were  eyewitnesses  of  his 
majesty.  17  For  he  received  from  God  the  Father  honor 
and  glory,  when  there  was  borne  such  a  voice  to  him  by  the 
Majestic  Glory,  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well 
pleased:  18  and  this  voice  we  ourselves  heard  borne  out  of 
heaven,  when  we  were  with  him  in  the  holy  mount.  19  And 
we  have  the  word  of  prophecy  made  more  sure;  whereunto 
ye  do  well  that  ye  take  heed,  as  unto  a  lamp  shining  in  a  dark 
place,  until  the  day  dawn,  and  the  day-star  arise  in  your 
hearts:  20  knowing  this  first,  that  no  prophecy  of  scripture 
is  of  private  interpretation.  21  For  no  prophecy  ever  came 
by  the  will  of  man:  but  men  spake  from  God,  being  moved  by 
the  Holy  Spirit. 

Peter,  in  opening  his  epistle,  has  shown  that  in  the 
knowledge  of  Christ  has  been  given  all  that  is  needed  for 
"life  and  godliness";  he  has  urged  an  increase  of  this 
knowledge  by  the  development  of  Christian  virtues  that 


II  Peter  1:12-21  KNOWLEDGE  95 

so  may  be  provided  an  entrance  into  the  heavenly  King- 
dom; he  now  promises  to  aid  his  readers  to  keep  these 
truths  in  mind  and  assures  them  that  their  knowledge  is 
well  supported  by  the  testimony  of  inspired  apostles  and 
prophets. 

Thus  he  does  not  propose  to  teach  new  truths,  but  de- 
clares that  he  will  "be  ready  always"  to  put  his  readers  in 
remembrance  of  the  truth  in  which  they  are  already  estab- 
lished. He  regards  this  as  his  duty  and  more  especially 
because  his  own  death  is  approaching,  or,  as  he  says 
"the  putting  off  of  my  tabernacle  cometh  swiftly";  his 
body  is  like  a  tent  which  his  spirit  is  soon  to  leave.  He  is 
sure  of  this  because  he  is  now  far  advanced  in  years,  and 
his  Lord  had  told  him  that,  when  old,  he  should  die  a 
martyr's  death.  Here  Peter  even  promises  to  make  pro- 
vision that  after  his  death  his  readers  shall  be  able  "to  call 
these  things  to  remembrance";  just  how  he  proposed  to 
fulfill  this  promise  he  does  not  say — probably  by  writing 
other  letters;  but  some  have  conjectured  that  he  meant 
to  appoint  teachers,  or  even  that  he  referred  to  the  Gospel 
of  Mark,  which  is  thought  to  have  been  written  under  his 
direction. 

The  climax  and  inspiring  center  of  all  the  truth  Peter  so 
prized,  concerned  the  personal,  visible  return  of  Christ. 
This  was  the  great  motive  for  holy  living  to  which  he  con- 
stantly appealed  in  his  First  Epistle;  this  was  the  doctrine 
ridiculed  and  opposed  by  the  false  teachers  whom  this 
Second  Epistle  was  written  to  rebuke.  Peter  declares 
that,  in  his  statements  concerning  the  divine  power  and 
future  coming  of  Christ,  he  and  his  fellow  apostles  did 
"not  follow  cunningly  devised  fables,"  but  they  spoke  as 
men  who,  with  their  own  eyes,  had  seen  the  "majesty," 
the  radiant  splendor,  the  heavenly  glory,  in  which  Christ 
would  reappear.  This  vision  was  granted  to  them  on  the 
Mount  of  Transfiguration  when  Jesus  "received  from 
God  the  Father  honor  and  glory,  when  there  was  borne 
such  a  voice  to  him  by  the  Majestic  Glory,  [that  is,  by 
God  himself],  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well 
pleased."  This  transfiguration  scene  was  a  foregleam,  a 
part,  a  manifestation,  and  so  a  proof,  of  the  majesty  and 


96  SECOND  PETER        II  Peter  1: 12-21 

splendor  in  which  Christ  would  appear  when  he  returned 
in  his  own  glory  and  that  of  the  Father  and  that  of  the 
holy  angels.  This  experience  confirmed  the  word  of  the 
prophets;  it  has  made  it  an  even  firmer  ground  of  con- 
fidence; previously  the  assurance  came  by  faith,  but  now 
that  in  the  transfiguration  there  has  been  granted  a  speci- 
men of  the  coming  glory,  sight  has  made  assurance  doubly 
sure:  "We  have  the  word  of  prophecy  made  more  sure; 
whereunto  ye  do  well  that  ye  take  heed,  as  unto  a  lamp 
shining  in  a  dark  place."  In  this  dusk  and  dimly  lighted 
world,  in  all  its  mystery  of  confusing  events,  prophecy 
shines  forth  as  a  lamp,  the  only  lamp  we  have  to  guide  us. 
We  must  give  heed  to  it  "until  the  day  dawn,  and  the  day- 
star  arise."  Thus  (according  to  Tregelles,  Schott,  and 
others)  it  may  be  best  to  punctuate  this  last  clause:  "Ye 
do  well  that  ye  take  heed,  in  your  hearts,  until  the  day 
dawn" ;  that  is  while  the  shadows  hang  so  heavily  upon  the 
present  world  you  do  well  to  take  earnest  heed  to  the  light 
of  prophecy,  until  at  last  the  Lord  returns  and  the  shadows 
flee  away.  If,  however,  we  accept  the  usual  punctuation, 
the  meaning  may  be  that  we  should  take  heed  of  prophecy 
and  ponder  its  statements,  until  in  our  hearts  there  dawns 
a  bright  and  confident  expectation  of  the  coming  of  Christ. 
To  such  earnest  heed  of  prophecy  we  are  specially  en- 
couraged by  the  consideration  that  "no  prophecy  of 
scripture  is  of  private  interpretation,"  or,  probably  "of 
private  origination,"  that  is,  it  does  not  come  from  the 
prophets'  own  interpretation  of  the  future;  "forno  proph- 
ecy" as  Peter  adds,  "ever  came  by  the  will  of  man:  but 
men  spake  from  God,  being  moved  by  the  Holy  Spirit." 
Therefore,  upon  the  testimony  of  apostles  who  were  eye- 
witnesses, upon  the  words  of  prophets  who  were  divinely 
inspired,  rest  our  saving  knowledge  of  Christ  and  our  hope 
of  his  glorious  return. 


I 


II  Peter  2:  1-9       TEACHERS  OF  ERROR  97 


2.  The  Teachers  of  Error.    Ch.  2 

a.  Their  Punishment.     Ch.  2:1-9 

1  But  there  arose  false  prophets  also  among  the  people,  as 
among  you  also  there  shall  be  false  teachers,  who  shall 
privily  bring  in  destructive  heresies,  denying  even  the  Master 
that  bought  them,  bringing  upon  themselves  swift  destruction. 
2  And  many  shall  follow  their  lascivious  doings;  by  reason 
of  whom  the  way  of  the  truth  shall  be  evil  spoken  of.  3 
And  in  covetousness  shall  they  with  feigned  words  make 
merchandise  of  you:  whose  sentence  now  from  of  old  lin- 
gereth  not,  and  their  destruction  slumbereth  not.  4  For  if 
God  spared  not  angels  when  they  sinned,  but  cast  them  down 
to  hell,  and  committed  them  to  pits  of  darkness,  to  be  re- 
served unto  judgment;  5  and  spared  not  the  ancient  world, 
but  preserved  Noah  with  seven  others,  a  preacher  of  right- 
eousness, when  he  brought  a  flood  upon  the  world  of  the  un- 
godly; 6  and  tmning  the  cities  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  into 
ashes  condemned  them  with  an  overthrow,  having  made 
them  an  example  unto  those  that  should  live  ungodly;  7  and 
delivered  righteous  Lot,  sore  distressed  by  the  lascivious 
life  of  the  wicked  8  (for  that  righteous  man  dwelling  among 
them,  in  seeing  and  hearing,  vexed  his  righteous  soul  from 
day  to  day  with  their  lawless  deeds):  9  the  Lord  knoweth 
how  to  deliver  the  godly  out  of  temptation,  and  to  keep  the 
unrighteous  under  punishment  unto  the  day  of  judgment. 

Peter  had  just  assured  his  readers  that  inspired  prophets, 
in  their  teaching,  had  given  them  a  lamp  which  they  should 
cherish  and  use  in  the  prevailing  darkness,  until  the  Lord 
return.  He  now  reminds  them  that  of  old  there  were 
"false  prophets"  as  well  as  true,  and  that,  similarly,  in 
the  Christian  Church  there  are  "false  teachers"  as  well  as 
inspired  apostles,  and  that  such  teachers  will  appear  in 
all  ages  until  Christ  reappears.  The  mention  of  these 
teachers  brings  Peter  to  the  very  heart  of  his  epistle  which 
is  mainly  designed  to  warn  his  readers  against  these 
authors  of  destructive  heresies  and  to  defend  the  truth 
concerning  the  return  of  Christ,  which,  in  particular,  was 
being  denied. 


98  SECOND  PETER  II  Peter  2: 1-9 

As  the  chapter  opens  Peter  declares  that  these  false 
leaders  are  doomed  to  certain  punishment;  they  are 
"bringing  uprm  themselves  swift  destruction;"  their  sen- 
tence "from  of  old  lingereth  not,  and  their  destruction 
slumbereth  not,"  it  had  been  predicted  in  other  days,  of 
similar  men,  and  it  is  no  dead  letter  but  soon  will  be  exe- 
cuted upon  them.  Their  conduct  is  described  as  "denying 
even  the  Master  that  bought  them,"  as  by  their  impure 
lives  and  their  corruption  of  his  teachings  they  actually 
disclaimed  and  renounced  the  Lord  and  Master  who  had 
died  for  them.  As  a  result  of  their  influence  "many  shall 
follow  their  lascivious  doings;  by  reason  of  whom  the 
way  of  the  truth  shall  be  evil  spoken  of,"  while  the  teachers 
enrich  themselves  by  the  money  they  extort  from  their 
victims. 

Thus  the  first  four  verses  describe  the  doom,  the  conduct 
and  the  influence  of  these  men,  and  so  outline  and  summa- 
rize the  whole  chapter.  This  chapter,  it  will  be  remem- 
bered, is  closely  paralleled  by  the  Epistle  of  Jude.  The 
supposition  is  that  one  writer  borrowed  from  the  other  or 
both  from  a  common  source.  It  should  be  noted,  however, 
that  when  Jude  gives  examples  of  the  certain  punishment 
of  the  wicked  he  makes  no  mention  of  the  deliverance  of 
the  righteous.  Peter,  however,  uses  three  illustrations  of 
certain  doom,  but  in  two  of  these  he  lays  great  stress  upon 
the  fact  that  "the  Lord  knoweth  how  to  deliver  the  godly 
out  of  temptation,  and  to  keep  the  unrighteous  under 
punishment  unto  the  day  of  judgment."  Of  these  ex- 
amples of  punishment  the  first  is  that  of  the  fallen  angels; 
the  nature  of  their  sin  is  not  mentioned,  but  it  is  elsewhere 
suggested  as  having  been  caused  by  pride.  The  second  is 
that  of  the  world  before  the  flood,  the  special  feature  of 
which  was  disobedience  to  God.  The  third  is  that  of  the 
destruction  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah;  the  guilt  of  these 
cities  was  that  of  moral  impurity.  Thus  Peter  pictures 
the  certain  punishment  of  the  false  teachers,  but  he  also 
paints  their  character,  and  intimates  their  pride,  rebellion, 
and  sensuality.  He  also  intimates,  however,  that  even 
though  the  righteous  are  few  in  number,  as  Noah  and  his 
family,  or  as  Lot  in  lawless  Sodom,  God  is  certain  to 


II  Peter  2:  10-16    TEACHERS  OF  ERROR  99 

deliver  those  who  trust  and  serve  him.  His  words  are 
designed  to  comfort  and  encourage  believers  in  the  darkest 
days  of  heresy  and  false  teaching  and  impending  judg- 
ments: "The  Lord  knoweth  how  to  deliver  the  godly  out 
of  temptation." 

b.  Their  Character  and  Conduct.    Ch.  2  :  10-16 

10  But  chiefly  them  that  walk  after  the  flesh  in  the  lust  of 
defilement,  and  despise  dominion.  Daring,  self-willed, 
they  tremble  not  to  rail  at  dignities:  11  whereas  angels, 
though  greater  in  might  and  power,  bring  not  a  railing  judg- 
ment against  them  before  the  Lord.  12  But  these,  as  crea- 
tures without  reason,  bom  mere  animals  to  be  taken  and 
destroyed,  railing  in  matters  whereof  they  are  ignorant,  shall 
in  their  destroying  surely  be  destroyed,  13  suffering  wrong 
as  the  hire  of  wrong-doing;  men  that  coimt  it  pleasure  to 
revel  in  the  day-time,  spots  and  blemishes,  revelling  in  their 
deceivings  while  they  feast  with  you;  14  having  eyes  full 
of  adultery,  and  that  cannot  cease  from  sin ;  enticing  imsted- 
fast  souls;  having  a  heart  exercised  in  covetousness ;  chil- 
dren of  cursing;  15  forsaking  the  right  way,  they  went  astray, 
having  followed  the  way  of  Balaam  the  son  of  Beor,  who 
loved  the  hire  of  wrong-doing;  16  but  he  was  rebuked  for 
his  own  transgression:  a  dumb  ass  spake  with  man's  voice 
and  stayed  the  madness  of  the  prophet. 

Peter  has  already  announced  the  doom  and  briefly 
designated  the  teachers  of  error  who  were  corrupting  the 
Christian  Church;  he  now  paints  their  character  and 
conduct  in  vivid  and  forbidding  colors.  The  two  para- 
graphs are  inseparably  interwoven,  the  description  of 
punishment  and  of  sin.  Thus  when  he  mentions  "chiefly 
them  that  walk  after  the  flesh  in  the  lust  of  defilement," 
he  means  that  they,  more  obviously  than  other  sinners,  are 
kept  under  the  judgment  of  God,  and  he  specifies  their 
character  as  walking  "after  the  flesh,"  making  lust  their 
law,  and  further,  he  states,  they  "despise  dominion," 
looking  with  contempt  upon  the  power  and  majesty  of  the 
Lord.  Naturally  therefore,  "daring,  self-willed,  they 
tremble  not  to  rail  at  dignities,"  but  treat  with  abuse  the 
lawful  rulers  of  the  Church.  Such  daring  presumption  is 
rebuked  by  the  example  of  angels  who  refrain  from  insult- 


100  SECOND  PETER         II  Peter  2: 17-22 

ing  and  condemning  beings  less  powerful  than  themselves. 
These  teachers  are  like  "animals,"  without  reason,  mere 
brute  beasts  making  a  pretense  of  knowledge,  and  they 
are  certain  to  be  punished  for  their  wrongdoing,  as  they 
deserve.  Their  idea  of  pleasure  is  wanton  living,  in  open 
daylight.  They  are  "spots  and  blemishes"  in  the  Church 
which  should  be  pure  and  holy.  Their  eyes  betray  their 
adulterous  thoughts,  never  satisfied  with  sin.  They  allure 
and  corrupt  unsteady,  unstable,  "unstedfast  souls." 
"Children  of  cursing"  that  they  are,  they  have  left  the 
straight  path,  wandering  away  from  it  by  following  the 
way  of  Balaam;  he,  like  these  false  teachers,  "loved 
the  hire  of  wrong-doing" ;  he  wished  the  gold  Balak  offered 
and  desired  to  curse  Israel  contrary  to  God's  command; 
he  was  "rebuked"  for  his  breach  of  law,  when  his  dumb 
ass,  acting  contrary  to  law  of  another  kind,  spoke  with 
human  voice  and  resisted  the  mad  infatuation  of  the 
prophet. 

Like  Balaam  of  old,  men  who  try  to  serve  God  and  gold, 
and  false  teachers,  such  as  Peter  describes,  who  hide  their 
covetousness  and  impurity  under  the  cloak  of  Christian 
profession,  are  doomed  to  moral  blindness,  to  disappoint- 
ment, to  disgrace,  and  to  death. 

c.  Their  Evil  Influence.     Ch.  2  :  17-22 

17  These  are  springs  without  water,  and  mists  driven  by 
a  storm ;  for  whom  the  blackness  of  darkness  hath  been  re- 
served. 18  For,  uttering  great  swelling  words  of  vanity, 
they  entice  in  the  lusts  of  the  flesh,  by  lasciviousness,  those 
who  are  just  escaping  from  them  that  live  in  error;  19  promis- 
ing them  liberty,  while  they  themselves  are  bondservants  of 
corruption ;  for  of  whom  a  man  is  overcome,  of  the  same  is  he 
also  brought  into  bondage.  20  For  if,  after  they  have  es- 
caped the  defilements  of  the  world  through  the  knowledge  of 
the  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  they  are  again  entangled 
therein  and  overcome,  the  last  state  is  become  worse  with 
them  than  the  first.  21  For  it  were  better  for  them  not  to 
have  known  the  way  of  righteousness,  than,  after  knowing  it, 
to  tmn  back  from  the  holy  commandment  delivered  unto 
them.  22  It  has  happened  unto  them  according  to  the  true 
proverb.  The  dog  turning  to  his  own  vomit  again,  and  the 
sow  that  had  washed  to  wallowing  in  the  mire. 


II  Peter  2:  17-22    COMING  OF  CHRIST  101 

The  most  distressing  feature  In  the  picture  of  the  teach- 
ers of  error  whom  Peter  Is  denouncing  In  this  present 
chapter,  Is  that  of  their  Influence  upon  the  members  of  the 
Church.  The  pitiful  fact  Is  that  such  men  secure  a  follow- 
ing; they  know  enough  of  truth  and  can  employ  sufficient 
pious  phrases  to  beguile  and  entrap  weak  and  unsuspecting 
souls.  They  profess  to  be  sources  of  spiritual  help;  how 
different  they  are,  in  reality!  "These  are  springs  without 
water" ;  what  a  disappointment  to  those  who  are  thirsting! 
These  are  "mists  driven  by  a  storm";  mists  might  supply 
some  moisture,  or  protect  from  the  burning  sun,  but  when 
driven  by  the  wind,  as  these  teachers  by  their  passions, 
they  can  only  blind  and  distress. 

In  contrast  with  all  their  boastful  pretense,  "uttering 
great  swelling  words  of  vanity,"  they  lead  astray  by 
offers  of  sensual  Indulgence,  those  w^ho  are  just  escaping 
from  sinful  companions  and  practices.  They  teach  that  as 
a  Christian  is  "free  from  the  law"  he  can  live  In  license,  and 
can  show  his  liberty  by  indulging  In  sin.  The  fact  is  that 
such  teachers  are  themselves  the  slaves  of  sin,  w^hlle  they 
are  promising  freedom  to  others;  "for  a  man  Is  the  slave 
of  whatever  overpowers  him."  Most  pitiful  of  all  Is  the 
case  of  those  who  are  misled,  and  who  under  such  In- 
fluences renounce  their  allegiance  to  Christ:  "For  if  after 
they  have  escaped  the  defilements  of  the  world  through 
the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  they 
are  again  entangled  therein  and  overcome,  the  last  state 
is  becom^e  worse  with  them  than  the  first."  In  these  and 
the  closing  words  of  the  chapter  a  solemn  warning  Is 
sounded  both  for  the  teachers  of  error  and  their  followers. 
"For  it  were  better  for  them  not  to  have  known  the  way  of 
righteousness,  than,  after  knowing  It,  to  turn  back  from 
the  holy  commandment."  It  Is  useless,  and  quite  aside 
from  the  purpose  of  Peter,  to  argue  here  either  against  or 
for  the  doctrine  of  "the  perseverance  of  the  saints"  or  the 
possibility  of  "falling  from  grace."  From  the  proverb 
with  which  the  chapter  closes  It  would  seem  that  the  per- 
sons described  had  never  really  experienced  a  "new  birth" 
or  a  change  of  nature;  however,  the  point  here  is  to  warn 
persons  against  self-deception,  against  all  false  sense  of 


102  SECOND  PETER         II  Peter  2: 17-22 

security,  against  false  teachers  who  make  light  of  sin  and 
corrupt  the  teachings  of  Christ.  No  one  can  presume  upon 
a  past  religious  experience,  whether  it  was  real  or  imagin- 
ary. Each  one  must,  and  will,  increase  his  knowledge  of 
Christ  by  a  diligent  cultivation  of  Christian  graces  in  case 
he  is  to  find  an  "entrance  into  the  eternal  kingdom." 


II  Peter  3: 1-7        COMING  OF  CHRIST  103 


3.  The  Coming  of  Christ.     II  Peter,  ch.  3 

a.  The  Certainty.     Ch.  3  :  1-7 

1  This  is  now,  beloved,  the  second  epistle  that  I  write  tinto 
you;  and  in  both  of  them  I  stir  up  your  sincere  mind  by 
putting  you  in  remembrance ;  2  that  ye  should  remember  the 
words  which  were  spoken  before  by  the  holy  prophets,  and 
the  commandment  of  the  Lord  and  Saviour  through  your 
apostles:  3  knowing  this  first,  that  in  the  last  days  mockers 
shall  come  with  mockery,  walkiug  after  their  own  lusts,  4 
and  sajring.  Where  is  the  promise  of  his  coming?  for,  from  the 
day  that  ^e  fathers  fell  asleep,  all  things  continue  as  they 
were  from  the  beginning  of  the  creation.  5  For  this  they 
wilfully  forget,  that  there  were  heavens  from  of  old,  and  an 
earth  compacted  out  of  water  and  amidst  water,  by  the  word 
of  God;  6  by  which  means  the  world  that  then  was,  being 
overflowed  with  water,  perished :  7  but  the  heavens  that  now 
are,  and  the  earth,  by  the  same  word  have  been  stored  up 
for  fire,  being  reserved  against  the  day  of  judgment  and 
•destruction  of  ungodly  men. 

The  return  of  Christ  and  the  establishment  on  earth  of 
his  perfected  Kingdom  has  been  the  blessed  hope  of  the 
Church  through  all  the  passing  centuries.  In  writing  his 
First  Epistle,  hope  was  continually  used  by  Peter  as  an 
inspiring  motive  for  patience  in  suffering  and  for  fidelity 
in  the  performance  of  duty.  In  this  Second  Epistle,  the 
same  truth  also  is  so  continually  in  mind  that  the  two 
letters  have  commonly  been  called  the  "Epistles  of  Hope." 

Thus  as  he  begins  this  third  chapter,  Peter  states  that 
his  purpose  in  writing  is  to  remind  his  readers  of  the  teach- 
ings of  apostles  and  prophets  concerning  the  return  of 
Christ,  and  specifically  of  their  prediction  that,  as  the 
present  age  drew  to  its  close,  men  would  appear  who  would 
ridicule  the  very  idea  of  a  second  advent:  "knowing  this 
first,  that  in  the  last  days  mockers  shall  come  with  mock- 
ery, walking  after  their  own  lusts,  and  saying,  Where  is 
the  promise  of  his  coming?"  As  their  appearance  had 
been  predicted  thus  in  connection  with  the  Lord's  return, 


104  SECOND  PETER  II  Peter  3: 1-7 

the  very  existence  and  words  of  such  scoffers  proved  the 
truth  which  they  attempted  to  deny. 

It  may  be  noted  that  there  is  a  very  modern  accent  in 
the  two  grounds  on  which  their  denial  is  based:  first,  the 
lapse  of  time  since  the  promise  was  made;  and  second,  the 
improbability  of  its  fulfillment:  "for,  from  the  day  that 
the  fathers  fell  asleep,  all  things  continue  as  they  were  from 
the  beginning  of  the  creation."  That  is  to  say,  first,  our 
Lord  had  suggested  that  his  return  might  be  at  an  early 
date,  and  now  practically  a  generation  had  passed  away, 
at  least  most  of  the  early  fathers  of  the  Church  were  dead, 
and  as  Christ  had  not  returned  there  must  be  some  mis- 
take about  his  promise  or  the  common  interpretation  of 
his  promise;  he  had  not  come,  so,  the  scoffers  concluded, 
he  would  not  come. 

The  second  objection  sounds  quite  as  familiar  to-day: 
"all  things  continue  as  they  were  from  the  beginning  of  the 
creation" ;  that  is  to  say,  law  is  uniform,  miracle  is  impos- 
sible, the  sole  process  in  the  universe  is  evolution,  the  super- 
natural is  inconceivable;  the  return  of  Christ  with  its 
attendant  circumstances  is  absolutely  miraculous,  catas- 
trophic, supernatural;  therefore  it  is  the  foolish  dream  of 
fanatics  and  not  worthy  the  serious  thought  of  men  of  en- 
lightenment and  culture. 

This  second  objection  Peter  at  once  discusses;  the 
first  he  meets  In  the  next  paragraph.  As  to  the  "uni- 
formity of  nature,"  Is  it  true  that  there  has  been  no  divine 
act,  no  "supernatural  intervention?"  Do  not  these 
scoffers  "wilfully  forget"  and  stubbornly  neglect  certain 
known  facts?  How  did  the  world  come  into  being,  and 
how  was  the  "process  of  evolution"  begun;  were  these  not 
''by  the  word  of  God?"  Or,  how  about  the  flood?  was  it 
not  by  this  same  divine  Word  that  "the  world  .  .  .  being 
overflowed  with  water,  perished?"  If  God  sent  a  deluge 
to  punish  a  guilty  world,  is  It  not  possible  that  Christ  may 
appear  In  flaming  fire  to  punish  the  ungodly  and  to  deliver 
his  saints? 

This  seems  to  be  the  argument  of  Peter.  Of  course  his 
language  is  figurative.  It  Is  certain  that  the  flood  did  not 
destroy  the  heaven  and  the  earth;   of  this  absurd  state- 


II  Peter  3:  8-13      COMING  OF  CHRIST  105 

ment  Peter  is  guilty  if  words  must  be  taken  literally.  So 
when  Christ  comes  he  will  not  destroy  the  earth.  Fire  is 
a  symbol  of  divine  judgment  and  of  purification.  Just 
what  the  figures  of  speech  imply  will  always  be  a  matter 
of  controversy  and  conjecture;  but  as  to  the  fact  of  our 
Lord's  return  there  need  be  no  doubt.  It  is  established, 
as  Peter  declares,  by  the  words  of  "the  holy  prophets" 
and  of  "the  Lord  and  Saviour"  himself.  These  words 
must  be  studied  with  patience,  and  expounded  with  care, 
and  defended  with  charity;  but  in  days  of  deepest  dark- 
ness they  are,  to  men  of  "sincere  mind"  and  simple  faith, 
stars  of  hope,  pointing  to  the  dawn  and  the  glorious 
appearing  of  the  King. 

b.  The  Time  and  Circumstances.    Ch.  3]:  8-13 

8  But  forget  not  this  one  thing,  beloved,  that  one  day  is 
with  the  Lord  as  a  thousand  years,  and  a  thousand  years  as 
one  day.  9  The  Lord  is  not  slack  concerning  his  promise,  as 
some  count  slackness ;  but  is  longsuff ering  to  you-ward,  not 
wishing  that  any  should  perish,  but  that  all  should  come  to 
repentance.  10  But  the  day  of  the  Lord  will  come  as  a  thief; 
in  the  which  the  heavens  shall  pass  away  with  a  great  noise, 
and  the  elements  shall  be  dissolved  with  fervent  heat,  and  the 
earth  and  the  works  that  are  therein  shall  be  burned  up./ 
11  Seeing  that  these  things  are  thus  all  to  be  dissolved,  what 
manner  of  persons  ought  ye  to  be  in  all  holy  living  and  godli- 
ness, 12  looking  for  and  earnestly  desiring  the  coming  of  the 
day  of  God,  by  reason  of  which  the  heavens  being  on  fire  shall 
be  dissolved,  and  the  elements  shaU  melt  with  fervent  heat? 
13  But,  according  to  his  promise,  we  look  for  new  heavens 
and  a  new  earth,  wherein  dwelleth  righteousness. 

While  the  blessed  hope  of  their  Lord's  return  has  been 
the  stay  and  comfort  of  his  followers  in  every  age,  there 
have  always  been  men,  even  within  the  Church,  who  have 
ridiculed  the  doctrine  as  an  idle  fancy,  a  chimera,  a  dream. 
There  were  such  men  in  the  days  of  Peter,  and  he  writes 
his  Second  Epistle  to  warn  his  readers  against  these 
teachers  of  unbelief;  such  teachers  exist  to-day,  and  ex- 
press polite  surprise  that  any  persons  could  be  so  lacking 
in  intelligence  as  to  expect  a  literal,  visible,  glorious 
reappearing  of  Jesus  Christ;    such  have  been  predicted 


106  SECOND  PETER  II  Peter  3: 8-13 

to  appear  "in  the  last  days,"  and  their  scoffing  will  make 
them  unconscious  witnesses  of  the  fact  they  deride. 

In  the  earlier  verses  of  this  chapter,  Peter  has  indicated 
that  such  unbelief  was  not  due  to  any  lack  of  prediction 
on  the  part  of  Christ  or  of  the  prophets  and  apostles,  but 
was  due  to  the  long  delay  in  the  fulfillment  of  the  promises; 
no  one  who  reads  the  New  Testament  questions  the  fact 
that  the  early  Christians  expected  the  return  of  the  Lord, 
and  regarded  it  as  possible  in  their  own  day;  "but,"  say 
these  doubters,  "the  early  Church  was  evidently  mistaken; 
the  prediction  has  been  discredited  by  these  ages  of  delay." 
To  such  Peter  makes  his  memorable  reply:  "But  forget 
not  this  one  thing,  beloved,  that  one  day  is  with  the  Lord 
as  a  thousand  years,  and  a  thousand  years  as  one  day." 
That  is  to  say,  time  is  purely  relative,  and  what  seems  a 
long  delay  to  man  is  not  long  in  the  mind  of  the  Eternal; 
to  him  the  issues  of  a  single  day  are  permanent,  endless; 
and  the  events  of  a  thousand  years  are  present,  real, 
already  passing  before  him. 

Thus  to  the  charge  of  a  long  delay,  Peter  replies,  first, 
that  men  are  poor  judges  of  the  length  and  shortness  of 
time  in  which  divine  counsels  are  concerned;  he  replies, 
in  the  next  place,  that  what,  even  in  human  judgment,  is 
a  long  delay  is  occasioned  by  a  wise  and  gracious  purpose: 
"The  Lord  is  not  slack  concerning  his  promise,"  not  un- 
mindful, not  indifferent  to  his  word,  "but  is  longsuffering 
to  you-ward,  not  wishing  that  any  should  perish,  but  that 
all  should  come  to  repentance" ;  if  he  delays  his  judgment, 
it  is  that  men,  even  the  readers  of  this  epistle,  may  have 
time  to  repent  and  to  accept  the  salvation  he  has  provided 
in  Jesus  Christ. 

In  the  third  place,  Peter  states  that  the  long  delay 
should  not  make  men  careless  or  lull  them  into  a  false 
security,  for  "the  day  of  the  Lord  will  come  as  a  thief." 
The  mere  fact  that  events  seem  to  be  taking  their  usual 
course,  or  have  so  continued  for  ages,  is  no  proof  that  the 
Lord  will  not  return.  By  the  world  the  event  will  be  un- 
expected; the  time  is  always  uncertain;  the  lack  of  ex- 
pectation on  the  part  of  believers  is  a  predicted  sign  that 
the  coming  may  be  near. 


II  Peter  3: 8-13      COMING  OF  CHRIST  107 

It  is  folly  to  "set  the  time"  for  the  Lord's  return,  or  to 
extort  from  some  obscure  passages  of  Scripture  a  predic- 
tion of  the  exact  date  of  his  coming;  nevertheless  there  are 
certain  events  and  circumstances  which  will  serv^e  as  signs 
for  those  who  are  watchful.  "Ye  .  .  .  are  not  in  dark- 
ness, that  that  day  should  overtake  you  as  a  thief," 
wrote  Paul  to  the  Thessalonian  believers.  Of  these  cir- 
cumstances Peter  mentions  only  the  physical  convulsions 
which  precede  and  attend  the  appearing  of  Christ.  The 
language  he  employs  is  highly  figurative  and  when  taken 
literally  leads  to  strange  conclusions.  He  borrows  his 
figures  from  the  last  two  chapters  of  Isaiah  and  from  the 
Eighteenth  Psalm;  the  latter  is  describing  a  severe  storm, 
as  it  declares  that  "the  foundations  of  the  world  were 
laid  bare";  so  Peter  declares,  "The  earth  and  the  works 
that  are  therein  shall  be  discovered"  [margin].  Isaiah 
described  the  blessedness  of  the  return  from  captivity, 
that  was  to  be,  for  the  Jews,  like  enjoying  "new  heavens 
and  a  new  earth."  In  no  case  does  it  mean  that  the  com- 
ing of  the  Lord  is  to  destroy  this  earth.  When  Peter  de- 
clares that  "the  heavens  shall  pass  away  with  a  great  noise, 
and  the  elements  shall  be  dissolved  with  fervent  heat,  and 
the  earth  and  the  works  that  are  therein  shall  be  burned 
up"  he  is  merely  referring  to  the  "signs"  attending  the 
coming  of  Christ  to  which  the  Master  himself  referred  when 
he  said:  "the  sun  shall  be  darkened,  and  the  moon  shall 
not  give  her  light,  and  the  stars  shall  be  falling  from 
heaven,  and  the  powers  that  are  in  the  heavens  shall  be 
shaken.  And  then  shall  they  see  the  Son  of  man  coming  in 
clouds  with  great  power  and  glory."  "But  when  these 
things  begin  to  come  to  pass,  look  up,  and  lift  up  your 
heads;  because  your  redemption  draweth  nigh."  Peter 
is  merely  giving  a  picture  of  coming  judgments.  The 
issue  of  these  convulsions,  whatever  their  nature,  is  "new 
heavens  and  a  new  earth,  wherein  dwelleth  righteous- 
ness"; not  a  new  globe,  for  the  nations  of  the  world  are 
pictured  as  still  here;  as  in  Isaiah  and  the  two  closing 
chapters  of  the  Bible,  the  "new  earth"  is  this  same  old 
world,  purified,  glorified,  redeemed,  and  the  scene  of 
righteousness  and  blessedness  and  universal  peace. 


108  SECOND  PETER        II  Peter  3: 14-18 

c.  The  Consequent  Exhortations.     Ch.  3  :  14-18 

14  Wherefore,  beloved,  seeing  that  ye  look  for  these  things, 
give  diligence  that  ye  may  be  found  in  peace,  without  spot  and 
blameless  in  his  sight.  15  And  account  that  the  longsufifer- 
ing  of  our  Lord  is  salvation ;  even  as  our  beloved  brother  Paul 
also,  according  to  the  wisdom  given  to  him,  wrote  unto  you; 
16  as  also  in  all  his  epistles,  speaking  in  them  of  these  things; 
wherein  are  some  things  hard  to  be  understood,  which  the 
ignorant  and  unstedfast  wrest,  as  they  do  also  the  other 
scriptures,  unto  their  own  destruction.  17  Ye  therefore, 
beloved,  knowing  these  things  beforehand,  beware  lest, 
being  carried  away  with  the  error  of  the  wicked,  ye  fall  from 
your  own  stedfastness.  18  But  grow  in  the  grace  and 
knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  To  him 
be  the  glory  both  now  and  for  ever.     Amen. 

The  purpose  of  Peter  is  intensely  practical.  He  has 
written  of  the  return  of  Christ  not  to  arouse  idle  specula- 
tion or  to  occasion  bitter  disputes  but  to  make  better  men 
and  women.  Two  facts  he  makes  perfectly  clear:  Christ 
will  come,  the  result  will  be  a  reign  of  righteousness; 
but  as  the  coming  is  attended  with  judgment,  "what 
manner  of  persons"  ought  we  to  be  "in  all  holy  living  and 
godliness,"  should  we  not  be  "looking  for  and  earnestly 
desiring  the  coming  of  the  day  of  God?"  Thus  Peter 
argues.  We  may  not  be  able  to  interpret  all  his  symbols, 
or  to  understand  all  that  the  "day  of  God"  will  contain, 
but  the  exhortations  of  the  apostle  are  clear;  he  makes  our 
duty  plain. 

Thus,  as  he  brings  the  epistle  to  a  close,  Peter  gives  two 
parting  injunctions:  one  Is  to  steadfastness,  the  other  to 
spiritual  growth.  "Wherefore,  beloved,  seeing  that  ye 
look  for  these  things,  give  diligence  that  ye  may  be 
found  In  peace";  the  return  of  Christ  should  not  occasion 
restless  excitement  but  calm  confidence;  "without  spot 
and  blameless  In  his  sight,"  for  If  we  are  expecting  the  bride- 
groom we  should  keep  our  garments  white  and  clean.  We 
should  remember  that  if  he  delays  his  coming  it  is  to  give 
us  an  opportunity  to  accept  and  to  proclaim  his  salvation, 
even  as  Paul  has  written  in  his  epistles;  these  epistles  are 
inspired  and  to  be  accepted  as  holy  Scripture,  but  they 
contain  passages  hard  to  understand  which  men  who  are 


II  Peter  3: 14-18     COMING  OF  CHRIST  109 

ignorant  of  spiritual  truth  and  eager  to  find  an  excuse  for 
sin  have  misinterpreted  so  as  to  allow  themselves  license 
which  is  destroying  their  souls.  We  have  been  warned  in 
advance  of  the  evil  influences  of  false  teachers,  and  of  the 
peril  of  turning  from  the  truth;  we  therefore  should  stand 
firm  and  steadfast.  We  should  "grow  in  the  grace  and 
knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ."  This 
can  be  possible,  as  Peter  has  shown  us,  only  by  daily  and 
diligently  developing  the  virtues  which  we  have  seen  re- 
vealed in  our  Lord,  and  by  continually  dwelling  upon  his 
word.  "To  him  be  the  glory  both  now  and  for  ever. 
Amen." 


no  FIRST  EPISTLE  OF  JOHN 


THE   FIRST   EPISTLE   OF 
JOHN 

Are  you  certain  that  you  are  a  Christian?  Are  you  con- 
scious of  fellowship  with  the  Father  and  with  his  Son? 
Are  you  confident  that  by  faith  in  Christ  you  have  been 
"born  again"  and  that  you  are  a  true  "child  of  God?" 
To  answer  such  questions  this  epistle  was  composed.  The 
writer  states  his  purpose  quite  clearly:  "These  things  have 
I  written  unto  you,  that  ye  may  know  that  ye  have  eternal 
life,  even  unto  you  that  believe  on  the  name  of  the  Son  of 
God."  The  phrase  "eternal  life"  does  not  mean  merely 
endless  existence;  it  denotes  not  only  the  length,  but  also 
the  kind,  of  life;  it  suggests  a  relation,  not  to  time,  but  to 
God;  it  describes  the  life  revealed  in  Christ  and  shared 
by  those  who  put  their  trust  in  him. 

The  assurance  that  one  has  this  "life"  is  not  mystical 
or  mysterious.  The  knowledge  is  based  upon  grounds 
which  are  simple  and  plain.  They  are  chiefly  three: 
faith  and  righteousness  and  love.  They  correspond  to 
three  great  affirmations  in  reference  to  God  made  by  the 
writer:  "God  is  light,"  "He  is  righteous,"  "God  is  love." 
If  such  is  the  nature  of  the  Father,  then  his  children  will 
be  like  him;  they  will  believe  in  his  Son  who  is  "the 
light  of  the  world";  they  will  be  righteous  "even  as  he  is 
righteous" ;  they  will  "love  the  children  of  God" ;  and  they 
will  "love  God  and  do  his  commandments."  Thus  belief 
and  righteousness  and  love  are  declared  to  be  tests  of 
"eternal  life."  They  can  be  absent  from  the  experience 
of  no  real  Christian. 

The  epistle,  however,  is  much  more  than  a  mere  series  of 
tests.  So  conscious  are  we  of  the  imperfection  of  our 
faith  and  holiness  and  love,  that  such  tests  might  be  ap- 
plied in  such  a  way  as  to  tease  and  torment  the  truest 
follower  of  Christ.  The  writer  aims  to  comfort  and  to 
encourage.     He  wishes  to  assure  the  humblest  believers 


FIRST  EPISTLE  OF  JOHN  111 

that  "eternal  life"  is  their  present  possession,  and  to  urge 
them  to  manifest  more  and  more  fully  its  characteristics 
and  its  qualities.  These  "tests  of  life"  are  not  intended 
to  gratify  morbid  introspection,  nor  to  encourage  our  self- 
righteousness,  nor  to  enable  us  to  criticize  and  condemn 
others.  The  purpose  of  the  letter  is  to  give  to  believers  a 
happy  confidence  in  their  blessed  state,  to  enable  them  to 
appreciate  their  marvelous  privileges,  and  to  encourage 
them  to  a  faithful  performance  of  their  duties,  to  a  fuller 
development  of  life,  and  to  a  more  perfect  fellowship  with 
God. 

The  writer  has  another  purpose,  closely  related  and 
equally  practical:  he  desires  to  warn  his  readers  against 
certain  prevalent  errors  of  belief  and  practice.  There  were 
those  who  once  had  been  professed  Christians,  who  "went 
out"  from  the  Church,  who  denied  that  our  Lord  is  truly 
God  and  truly  man,  at  once  human  and  divine.  To  this 
false  teaching  they  apparently  added  the  perilous  doctrine 
that  one  who  was  living  in  sin  might  still  be  "spiritual" 
and  a  "child  of  God."  So  dangerous  were  such  teachers, 
so  truly  hostile  to  Christianity,  that  the  writer  calls  them 
"antichrists"  and  declares  that  they  have  no  fellowship 
with  the  Father  or  the  Son.  They  are  not  "of  God"; 
they  are  "of  the  world." 

This  little  word  "of"  is  quite  significant.  Like  "in," 
it  is  one  of  the  most  important  words  of  the  epistle. 
"Of"  denotes  origin,  nature,  source,  likeness,  birth,  thus; 
one  who  is  "of  God"  is  born  of  God,  is  like  God,  is  a  child 
of  God.  "In"  signifies  "union  with,"  permanent  indwell- 
ing, "fellowship" ;  thus,  as  believers  in  Christ,  we  are  urged 
to  "abide  in  him,"  and  are  assured  that  "we  are  in  him  that 
is  true." 

These  little  words,  used  in  connection  with  such  leading 
terms  as  "God"  and  "the  world,"  "light  and  darkness," 
"love"  and  "hate,"  aid  in  forming  the  striking  contrasts 
which  characterize  the  epistle,  and,  as  already  intimated, 
they  summarize  in  large  measure  the  content  of  the  epistle 
which  concerns  the  life  of  those  who  are  described  either  as 
"in  him,"  and  so  having  fellowship  with  God,  or  as  "of 
God"  and  so  "children  of  God."     The  style  of  the  epistle 


112  FIRST  EPISTLE  OF  JOHN 

is  pure,  clear,  afld  artlessly  simple.  Its  profound  truths 
are  set  forth  in  brief  phrases,  and  are  emphasized  by 
repetitions  which  in  form  are  rhythmic  and  poetic.  Its 
unity  is  apparent,  yet  the  structure  is  such  as  to  evade 
exact  analysis.  The  main  truths  and  something  of  their 
relation  may  be  indicated  by  the  appended  analysis.  It  is 
suggested  in  part  by  a  modern  writer  whose  interpreta- 
tions mold  in  large  measure  the  exposition  which  follows: 

1.  Introduction:     The    Life    Eternal    Revealed    in    Christ. 

I  John  1  :  1-4. 

2.  The  Life  of  Fellowship  with  God.     Ch.   1  :  5  to  2  :  29. 

a.  Tested  by  Righteousness.     Ch.  1  :  5  to  2  :  6. 

b.  Tested  by  Love.     Ch.  2  :  7-17. 

c.  Tested  by  Belief.     Ch.  2  :  18-29. 

3.  The  Life  of  the  Children  of  God.     Ch.  3]:  1  to  4  :  6. 

a.  Tested  by  Righteousness.     Ch.  3  :  1-10. 

b.  Tested  by  Love.     Ch.  3  :  11-24. 

c.  Tested  by  Belief.     Ch.  4  :  1-6. 

4.  The  Source  of  Love.     Ch.  4  :  7-21. 

5.  The  Triumph  of  Righteousness.     Ch.  5  :  1-5. 

6.  The  Grounds  of  Belief.     Ch.  5  :  6-12. 

7.  Conclusion:  Christian  Certainties.     Ch.  5  :  13-21. 


I  John  1:  1-4  LIFE  ETERNAL  113 


1.  The  Life  Eternal,  Revealed  in  Christ. 
I  John  1  :  1-4 

1  That  which  was  from  the  beginning,  that  which  we  have 
heard,  that  which  we  have  seen  with  our  eyes,  that  which  we 
beheld,  and  our  hands  handled,  concerning  the  Word  of 
life  2  (and  the  life  was  manifested,  and  we  have  seen,  and 
bear  witness,  and  declare  unto  you  the  life,  the  eternal  life, 
which  was  with  the  Father,  and  was  manifested  imto  us); 

3  that  which  we  have  seen  and  heard  declare  we  unto  you 
also,  that  ye  also  may  have  fellowship  with  us :  yea,  and  oiu: 
fellowship  is  with  the  Father,  and  with  his  Son  Jesus  Christ: 

4  and  these  things  we  write,  that  our  joy  may  be  made  full. 

The  writer  of  this  epistle  makes  no  mention  of  his  name; 
but  when  we  compare  these  opening  sentences  with  those 
of  the  Gospel  of  John  we  are  struck  with  the  similarity; 
and  as  we  read  on,  in  both  compositions,  we  find  the  same 
phrases,  the  same  profound  thoughts,  the  same  unique 
style,  the  same  spiritual  insight,  until  we  conclude  that  the 
author  of  this  epistle,  almost  beyond  question,  is  the  "dis- 
ciple whom  Jesus  loved,"  John,  the  son  of  Zebedee,  the 
brother  of  James.  He  is  an  old  man  now.  His  imprison- 
ment on  the  lonely  isle  of  Patmos  is  past,  and  he  is  prob- 
ably residing  in  Ephesus,  caring  for  the  churches,  and 
revered  as  the  last  surviving  member  of  the  band  of 
apostles.  It  is  this  consciousness  of  his  peculiar  relation 
to  Christ  which  gives  to  his  epistle  its  prevailing  note  of 
authority.  The  writer  is  full  of  tenderness  and  affection, 
yet  his  quiet  words  are  delivered  with  an  implication  that 
they  are  infallible  and  final,  and  that  from  them  there  can 
be  no  appeal.  Apostolic  authority  is  nowhere  claimed; 
it  is  everywhere  assumed.  It  is  helpful  to  believe  that  we 
are  reading  the  inspired  words  of  the  man  who  was  the 
most  intimate  and  beloved  companion  of  our  Lord  in  the 
days  of  his  earthly  ministry. 

'  Nor  are  the  readers  specified  or  described.  Of  all  the 
"general"  or  "catholic"  epistles,  this  epistle  is  most 
obviously  written  for  Christians  in  "general,"  for  believers 
in  the  "whole  world."     That  it  is  written  to  Christians  is 


114  FIRST  JOHN  I  John  1: 1-4 

continually  implied,  and  is  definitely  stated:  "These 
things  have  I  written  unto  you  .  .  .  that  believe  on  the 
name  of  the  Son  of  God."  No  matter  in  what  city  or 
province  they  may  have  lived  to  whom  these  lines  first 
came,  it  is  evident  that  their  message  comes  as  a  personal 
appeal  to  believers  In  every  land  and  age. 

The  theme  at  once  arrests  attention.  It  is  life,  or  more 
definitely,  eternal  life.  The  term  denotes  not  merely 
endless  existence,  but  the  life  of  God,  revealed  In  Jesus 
Christ,  and  shared  by  all  who  put  their  trust  in  him.  This 
does  not  mean  that  believers  become  "divine"  or  partake 
of  the  being  of  God,  but  they  do  possess  a  new  moral  life; 
Its  source  is  in  God,  its  channel  is  faith,  its  Issues  are  good- 
ness and  love.  So  inseparable  is  this  life  from  Christ,  that 
he  is  called  "the  Word  of  life."  In  him  was  manifested 
that  life  which  was  timeless  and  which  he  possessed  in 
eternal  fellowship  with  the  Father.  That  which  the  apos- 
tles have  known  of  this  life  "from  the  beginning,"  that 
which  they  "have  heard,"  that  which  they  "have  seen" 
with  their  eyes,  that  which  they  "beheld"  and  their 
"hands  handled,"  that  is  to  form  the  burden  of  this 
matchless  letter  of  life. 

The  purpose  of  the  epistle  Is  that,  by  a  knowledge  of  the 
life  revealed,  the  readers  may  have  fellowship  with  the 
apostles  In  their  assurance  as  partakers  of  this  life,  in  their 
appreciation  of  its  privileges,  in  their  accomplishment  of 
its  duties.  The  fellowship  which  the  apostles  enjoy  is 
more  than  mere  human  companionship  and  intimacy,  it  is 
a  fellowship  "with  the  Father,  and  with  his  Son  Jesus 
Christ."  To  promote  and  perfect  such  fellowship,  the 
writer  declares,  will  make  his  joy  full  and  complete. 

We  should  note  then  that  in  his  introduction  John  makes 
plain  the  fact  that  life,  true  life,  eternal  life,  consists  in 
fellowship  with  God.  This  is  the  highest  possible  experi- 
ence for  the  human  soul. 

Further,  he  shows  that  this  fellowship  is  possible  only 
through  faith  in  Christ,  who  Is  himself  the  Manifestation 
of  the  life  of  God,  or  as  John  calls  him,  "the  Word  of  life." 

Again  John  declares  this  Christ  to  be  divine  and  human; 
even  "from  the  beginning"  he  has  been  in  timeless,  vital 


I  John  1:  1-4  LIFE  ETERNAL  115 

relation  with  the  Father,  but  he  has  been  revealed  as  truly 
man  who  could  be  seen  and  heard.  He  is  a  risen  Christ,  for 
John  refers  to  his  being  "handled"  in  language  which 
reminds  us  definitely  of  the  scene  in  that  upper  room  at 
the  close  of  the  resurrection  day. 

We  are  further  reminded  that  faith  in  this  Christ  is  not 
a  matter  of  credulity  or  mysticism  or  superstition.  Faith 
is  belief  founded  upon  evidence.  The  apostles  were  men 
of  reason,  they  had  the  witness  of  their  senses,  they  had 
abundant  opportunity  for  investigating  the  facts.  They 
testified  that  which  they  had  seen  and  heard.  There  is  an 
interesting  climax  in  the  order  of  the  expressions  used  by 
John ;  they  heard  what  was  at  a  distance,  they  saw  what 
was  nearer,  they  beheld  what  was  closer  still,  their  "hands 
handled"  the  divine  Lord  who  stood  in  their  midst.  So 
too,  for  such  as  follow  him,  the  divine  Christ  becomes  ever 
more  real  as  they  find  in  him  eternal  life  and  fellowship 
with  God. 

Further  still  we  may  note  that  the  highest  fellowship 
among  men  is  that  which  comes  from  accepting  Christian 
verities.  No  other  communion  is  so  intimate,  and  no  other 
companionships  so  inspiring  as  those  which  are  based 
on  a  vital  faith  in  Christ. 

Finally  we  may  note  that  the  deepest  source  of  joy  is 
found  in  service,  and  the  highest  form  of  service  consists 
in  bringing  others  into  fellowship  "with  the  Father,  and 
with  his  Son  Jesus  Christ."  By  such  service  "our  joy 
may  be  made  full." 


116  FIRST  JOHN         I  John  1: 5  to  2: 6 


2.  The  Life  of  Fellowship  with  God. 
Ch.  1  : 5  to  2  :  29 

a.  Tested  by  Righteousness.    Ch.  1  :  5  to  2  : 6 

1 : 5  And  this  is  the  message  which  we  have  heard  from  him 
and  annoimce  imto  you,  that  God  is  light,  and  in  him  is  no 
darkness  at  all.  6  If  we  say  that  we  have  fellowship  with  him 
and  walk  in  the  darkness,  we  lie,  and  do  not  the  truth:  7  but 
if  we  walk  in  the  light,  as  he  is  in  the  light,  we  have  fellow- 
ship one  with  another,  and  the  blood  of  Jesus  his  Son  cleans- 
ed us  from  all  sin.  8  If  we  say  that  we  have  no  sin,  we  de- 
ceive ourselves,  and  the  truth  is  not  in  us.  9  If  we  confess 
our  sins,  he  is  faithful  and  righteous  to  forgive  us  our  sins, 
and  to  cleanse  us  from  all  unrighteousness.  10  If  we  say 
that  we  have  not  sinned,  we  make  him  a  liar,  and  his  word  is 
not  in  us. 

2 : 1  My  little  children,  these  things  write  I  unto  you  that  ye 
may  not  sin.  And  if  any  man  sin,  we  have  an  Advocate 
wititi  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  righteous:  2  and  he  is  the 
propitiation  for  our  sins;  and  not  for  ours  only,  but  also  for 
the  whole  world.  3  And  hereby  we  know  that  we  know  him, 
if  we  keep  his  commandments.  4  He  that  saith,  I  know  him, 
and  keepeth  not  his  commandments,  is  a  liar,  and  the  truth  is 
not  in  him;  5  but  whoso  keepeth  his  word,  in  him  verily 
hath  the  love  of  God  been  perfected.  Hereby  we  know  that 
we  are  in  him:  6  he  that  saith  he  abideth  in  h^m  ought  him- 
self also  to  walk  even  as  he  walked. 

In  the  opening  verses  of  his  epistle,  John  has  described 
the  Christian  life  as  resulting  from  a  knowledge  of  God  as 
he  is  revealed  in  Christ,  and  as  consisting  essentially  in 
fellowship  with  God.  In  the  later  portions  of  the  epistle, 
this  life  is  otherwise  described  as  issuing  from  a  new  birth 
as  the  result  of  which  believers  become  the  children  of 
God.  Here,  however,  and  through  the  first  two  chapters 
of  the  letter,  the  "eternal  life"  which  is  possessed  by 
Christians  is  regarded  as  a  divine  fellowship. 

In  accordance  with  his  purpose  John  at  once  suggests 
the  tests  of  this  life.     If  one  has  fellowship  with  God  he 


I  John  1:5  to  2:6         FELLOWSHIP  117 

will  have  accepted  all  that  God  has  revealed  in  Christ, 
and  will  be  living  in  accord  with  this  revelation.  He  will 
be  like  God;  but  what  is  God  like?  "God  is  light." 
This  great  truth  underlies  all  that  the  first  two  chapters 
contain.  Light  is  the  most  beautiful,  the  most  glorious, 
thing  in  the  world.  It  is  the  symbol  of  purity  and  love 
and  truth.  The  main  function  of  light,  however,  is  to 
reveal,  and  the  writer  has  in  mind  mainly  the  self-revela- 
tion of  God,  when  he  declares  that  "the  message  which  we 
have  heard"  from  Christ  is  this:  "God  is  light,  and  in  him 
is  no  darkness  at  all."  Therefore,  if  we  are  to  have  fellow- 
ship with  God,  it  is  evident  that  we  must  "walk  in  the 
light."  This  means  that  we  must  be  righteous,  and  must 
love  one  another  and  must  believe  in  Jesus  Christ. 

Thus  righteousness  is  the  first  test  of  fellowship  with 
God.  It  is  very  obvious  that  the  proof  of  being  a  Christian 
is  found  in  the  life  one  leads.  Yet  the  application  of  this 
test  is  more  difficult  than  may  at  first  appear.  It  may 
result  in  discouragement  or  in  self-deception.  Some 
Christians  are  so  conscious  of  sin  that  if  righteousness  is 
the  test,  they  may  conclude  that  they  have  no  fellowship 
with  God;  others  are  so  certain  of  fellowship  with  God, 
that,  as  righteousness  is  the  test  of  such  fellowship,  they 
conclude  they  have  no  sin. 

It  is  reassuring  then  to  find  that  as  John  applies  this 
test,  first  negatively  and  then  positively,  the  first  applica- 
tion centers  in  the  consciousness  of  sin,  as  the  second 
centers  in  the  doing  of  righteousness.  That  is  to  say,  if 
we  walk  in  the  light  which  God  has  revealed,  we  cannot 
fail  to  be  aware  of  our  sinfulness.  The  greatest  saints 
have  been  most  painfully  conscious  of  their  imperfection. 
It  is  true,  however,  that  sin  has  not  been  the  purpose  and 
intent  of  their  lives.  One  who  refuses  to  accept  the  moral 
light  revealed  in  Christ,  and  who  is  unwilling  to  obey  that 
light,  cannot  have  fellowship  with  God:  "If  we  say  that 
we  have  fellowship  with  him  and  walk  in  the  darkness,  we 
lie,  and  do  not  the  truth."  John  mentions  three  such 
falsehoods,  and  three  contrasted  truths.  To  say  that  one 
is  a  Christian,  while  he  is  walking  in  darkness,  is  a  lie; 
this  "walking  in  darkness"  does  not  mean  necessarily  to 


118  FIRST  JOHN  I  John  1: 5  to  2:6 

live  in  vice  or  immorality,  but  to  pursue  the  daily  task 
without  reference  to  the  will  of  God,  to  live  according  to 
worldly  standards,  to  seek  selfish  goals,  to  exclude  the 
light  offered  in  Christ;  this  is  to  make  impossible  our  fel- 
lowship with  God. 

In  contrast  with  this  falsehood,  John  states  the  unex- 
pected truth,  not  that  if  we  walk  in  the  light  we  have 
fellowship  with  God,  which  would  have  been  a  natural 
conclusion  to  his  sentence,  but  this  related  truth,  that 
such  a  walk  insures  fellowship  with  other  Christians,  and 
continual  cleansing  from  the  daily  sins  of  which  we  are 
conscious. 

This  first  falsehood,  then,  consists  in  saying  that  sin  is  a 
matter  of  no  consequence,  that  a  man  can  live  without 
regard  to  the  will  of  God  and  still  enjoy  fellowship  with 
God. 

The  second  of  these  falsehoods  which  men  are  tempted 
to  utter  declares  that  we  are  not  responsible  for  sin.  "If 
we  say  that  we  have  no  sin,  we  deceive  ourselves,  and  the 
truth  is  not  in  us."  Here  John  protests  not  only  against 
the  theories  of  his  own  day  which  taught  that  evil  resided 
in  matter  and  is  not  a  concern  of  the  spirit,  but  also  against 
the  materialists  of  our  own  day  who  insist  that  sin  is  a 
question  of  body,  or  mind,  an  affection  of  the  brain,  a 
result  of  inheritance  or  surroundings,  a  consequence  of 
education  or  social  customs.  John  declares  that  it  is 
caused  by  the  human  will,  and  that  it  involves  man  in 
guilt.  He  adds,  however,  that  "if  we  confess  our  sins,  he  is 
faithful  and  righteous  to  forgive  us  our  sins,  and  to  cleanse 
us  from  all  unrighteousness." 

A  third  false  view  which  a  Christian  is  tempted  to  take  of 
himself  denies  that  in  his  own  case  sin  exists.  As  to  this 
claim  of  sinlessness  John  declares,  "If  we  say  that  we  have 
not  sinned,  we  make  him  a  liar,  and  his  word  is  not  in  us." 

If  sin  is  universal,  however,  there  is  likewise  a  universal 
provision  for  sin.  The  writer  does  not  mean  to  encourage 
sin,  but  to  comfort  one  who  has  sinned.  "My  little 
children,  these  things  write  I  unto  you  that  ye  may  not 
sin.  And  if  any  man  sin,  we  have  an  Advocate  with  the 
Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  righteous:    and  he  is  the  pro- 


I  John  1:5  to  2:6  FELLOWSHIP  119 

pitiatlon  for  our  sins;  and  not  for  ours  only,  but  also  for 
the  whole  world."  The  provision  is  thus  twofold:  inter- 
cession, and  propitiation.  The  last  word  indicates  a 
sacrifice  in  virtue  of  which  sin  is  "covered"  and  its  guilt 
is  removed.  Just  before,  we  were  told  that  "the  blood  of 
Jesus  his  Son  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin,"  and  further  that 
God  "is  faithful  and  righteous  to  forgive  us  our  sins,  and 
to  cleanse  us  from  all  unrighteousness."  So  our  thought 
here  is  led  to  the  atoning  work  of  Christ.  By  means  of 
his  death,  sin  is  pardoned,  the  barrier  is  removed,  and 
fellowship  with  God  is  restored.  Christ  is  also  our 
"Advocate";  this  is  the  beautiful  word  "Paraclete"  or 
"Comforter";  it  defines  one  who  stands  near  to  render 
help,  and  particularly  to  plead  one's  cause.  He  is  certain 
to  secure  our  pardon  for  he  is  "righteous"  and  he  pleads 
with  the  Father  who  loves  us  and  who  himself  "sent  the 
Son  to  be  the  Saviour  of  the  world." 

It  is  evident  then  that  walking  in  the  light  involves  a 
consciousness  of  sin  as  moral  guilt  and  as  interrupting  our 
fellowship  with  God ;  but  it  also  involves  an  experience  of 
pardon  conditioned  on  our  repentance  and  confession  and 
upon  the  death  and  intercession  of  Christ. 

Yet  this  "walking  in  the  light"  includes  not  only  the 
recognition  of  what  is  true,  but  the  doing  of  what  is  right. 
The  knowledge  of  God,  or  fellowship  with  God,  is  tested 
positively  by  obedience  to  the  divine  commands.  "And 
hereby  we  know  that  we  know  him,  if  we  keep  his  com- 
mandments." No  boasted  acquaintance  with  sacred 
truths,  no  glib  acceptance  of  a  lengthy  creed,  are  proofs 
of  divine  fellowship.  "He  that  saith,  I  know  him,  and 
keepeth  not  his  commandments,  is  a  liar,  and  the  truth 
is  not  in  him."  Real  fellowship  with  God,  in  which  is 
developed  his  love  for  us  and  our  love  for  him,  is  proved 
by  doing  his  will:  "Whoso  keepeth  his  word,  in  him  verily 
hath  the  love  of  God  been  perfected."  Even  as  Christ 
was  ever  delighting  to  do  the  will  of  his  Father,  so  our 
claim  of  a  continuing  fellowship  with  God  will  be  attested 
by  our  faithful  following  of  Christ:  "He  that  saith  he 
abideth  in  him  ought  himself  also  to  walk  even  as  he 
walked." 


120  FIRST  JOHN  I  John  2: 7-17 

b.  Tested  by  Love.    Ch.  2  :  7-17 

7  Beloved,  no  new  commandment  write  I  unto  you,  but  an 
old  commandment  which  ye  had  from  the  beginning:  the 
old  commandment  is  the  word  which  ye  heard.  8  Again,  a 
new  commandment  write  I  unto  you,  which  thing  is  true  in 
him  and  in  you;  because  the  darkness  is  passing  away, 
and  the  true  light  already  shineth.  9  He  that  saith  he  is  in 
the  light  and  hateth  his  brother,  is  in  the  darkness  even  until 
now.  10  He  that  loveth  his  brother  abideth  in  the  light,  and 
there  is  no  occasion  of  stumbling  in  him.  11  But  he  that 
hateth  his  brother  is  in  the  darkness,  and  walketh  in  the  dark- 
ness, and  knoweth  not  whither  he  goeth,  because  the  dark- 
ness hath  blinded  his  eyes. 

12  I  write  imto  you,  my  little  children,  because  your  sins 
are  forgiven  you  for  his  name's  sake.  13  I  write  unto  you, 
fathers,  because  ye  know  him  who  is  from  the  beginning.  I 
write  unto  you,  young  men,  because  ye  have  overcome  the 
evil  one.  I  have  written  unto  you,  little  children,  because 
ye  know  the  Father.  14  I  have  written  unto  you,  fathers,  be- 
cause ye  know  him  who  is  from  the  beginning.  I  have  writ- 
ten unto  you,  young  men,  because  ye  are  strong,  and  the 
word  of  God  abideth  in  you,  and  ye  have  overcome  the  evil 
one.  15  Love  not  the  world,  neither  the  things  that  are  in 
the  world.  If  any  man  love  the  world,  the  love  of  the  Father 
is  not  in  him.  16  For  all  that  is  in  the  world,  the  lust  of  the 
flesh  and  the  lust  of  the  eyes  and  the  vainglory  of  life,  is 
not  of  the  Father,  but  is  of  the  world.  17  And  the  world 
passeth  away,  and  the  lust  thereof:  but  he  that  doeth  the 
will  of  God  abideth  for  ever. 

One  who  is  walking  in  the  light  revealed  by  Christ  will 
not  only  do  what  is  right  in  refraining  from  sin,  he  will  also 
keep  the  great  commandment  of  love  which  Christ  gave 
and  himself  fulfilled.  Love  is  an  inevitable  test  of  fellow- 
ship with  God.  In  applying  the  test  of  righteousness,  the 
writer  showed  that  it  is  manifested  negatively  in  the 
consciousness  and  confession  of  sin,  and  positively  in  the 
perception  and  performance  of  duty.  So  in  dealing  with 
this  second  test,  he  shows  that  it  consists,  positively,  in 
loving  one's  brother  (vs.  7-11)  and,  negatively,  in  not 
loving  the  world  (vs.  12-17). 

In  introducing  this  test  John  does  not  name  it;  he  does 
however  use  a  new  term  to  describe  his  readers;   he  calls 


1 


I  John  2:  7-17  FELLOWSHIP  121 

them  "Beloved,"  and  thus  expresses  love  when  about  to 
encourage  love.  He  designates  his  subject  by  calling  it 
the  "commandment"  which  is  at  once  "old"  and  "new." 
Since  their  first  acquaintance  with  Christ  his  followers  had 
known  that  the  great  law  of  life  was  love.  Even  Moses, 
centuries  before,  had  set  forth  love  as  embodying  and 
comprehending  all  law.  Christ,  however,  had  given  to 
love  a  new  standard  and  a  new  motive.  His  followers 
were  to  love  one  another  as  he  had  loved  them,  and  for  his 
sake.  In  them  and  in  him  love  was  finding  its  real  ex- 
pression; as  John  writes,  "which  thing  is  true  in  him  and 
in  you."  He  is  the  more  eager  to  remind  his  readers  of 
this  commandment,  because  the  light  which  the  gospel 
reveals,  the  light  of  God's  real  nature,  is  dispelling  the 
darkness  of  moral  ignorance;  and  as  the  chief  excellence 
of  that  light  is  love,  the  followers  of  Christ  should  assure 
themselves  that  they  are  walking  in  the  light  by  keeping 
the  "old"  commandment  which  has  become  "new." 

This  test  is  not  difficult  to  apply:  "He  that  saith  he  is 
in  the  light  and  hateth  his  brother,  is  in  darkness  even 
until  now."  Even  though  one  boasts  his  spiritual  enlight- 
enment, even  though  the  "true  light"  may  be  shining  all 
about  him,  if  he  hates  his  brother  he  is  really  walking  in 
darkness.  "He  that  loveth  his  brother  abideth  in  the 
light,  and  there  is  no  occasion  of  stumbling  in  him," 
that  is,  there  is  nothing  in  his  heart  and  disposition  which 
may  occasion  him  to  stumble  and  fall,  no  anger  or  pride 
or  envy  or  thirst  for  revenge.  These  perils  one  avoids 
who  walks  in  the  light  of  love.  On  the  other  hand  "he 
that  hateth  his  brother  is  in  the  darkness,  and  walketh 
in  the  darkness,  and  knoweth  not  whither  he  goeth, 
because  the  darkness  hath  blinded  his  eyes."  Surely 
nothing  is  so  blind  as  hatred;  it  conceals  from  us  our 
faults,  and  the  virtues  of  others.  It  keeps  us  in  ignorance 
of  our  moral  peril  and  indifferent  to  the  consequences  of 
our  deeds.  No  one  who  lives  under  the  power  of  hatred, 
no  one  who  fails  to  obey  the  impulse  of  love,  can  claim 
fellowship  with  God,  for  "God  is  love." 

Before  turning  to  the  negative  application  of  this  text, 
to  explain  why  he  speaks  so  earnestly,  or  to  prepare  the 


122  FIRST  JOHN  I  John  2: 7-17 

way  for  his  solemn  warning  against  the  love  of  the  world, 
John  makes  a  sixfold  statement  of  the  spiritual  character 
and  attainments  of  those  to  whom  he  is  writing.  He  says 
in  effect  that  the  reason  for  his  message  is  not  any  doubt 
as  to  their  Christian  standing  or  progress,  but  rather  to 
encourage  them  to  further  achievements  and  to  caution 
them  against  temptations  from  which  even  they  cannot  be 
free.  This  statement  brings  to  modern  readers  of  this 
epistle  the  reminder  that  we  are  urged  to  do  righteousness 
and  to  manifest  love,  not  that  we  may  become  Christians, 
but  because  we  already  enjoy  fellowship  with  God,  and 
are  seeking  for  a  larger  realization  of  all  the  privileges  such 
fellowship  allows;  and  further  it  suggests  that  even  such 
persons  as  are  here  described  are  not  beyond  the  reach 
of  the  perilous  allurements  and  fascinations  of  the  world. 

The  reasons  combined  in  this  sixfold  statement  are 
arranged  in  two  parallel  series  of  three  each.  The  first 
in  each  series  is  addressed  to  the  readers  in  general,  the 
second  to  the  more  mature  readers,  and  the  third  to  the 
younger  among  them.  "Little  children"  is  the  term  which 
the  writer  applies  to  all  his  readers,  to  whom  he  stands  in 
the  affectionate  relation  of  a  spiritual  father.  He  declares 
that  he  is  writing  to  them  "because  your  sins  are  forgiven 
you  for  his  name's  sake."  It  is  easy  to  see  why  this  stands 
first.  The  forgiveness  of  sins  is  the  initial  and  fundamental 
experience  of  a  Christian;  it  is  the  supreme  need  of  every 
soul;  it  is  the  absolute  condition  of  fellowship  with  God, 
and  the  main  message  of  the  epistle  has  been  concerned 
with  the  provision  for  this  pardon  in  the  "blood"  the 
"cleansing,"  the  advocacy,  the  "propitiation,"  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

The  second  reason  for  addressing  all  his  readers  is  this: 
"because  ye  know  the  Father."  This  knowledge  is  made 
possible  through  Christ;  it  is  the  very  essence  of  "eternal 
life";  it  is  capable  of  continual  development,  but,  like 
the  forgiveness  of  sins,  it  is  an  experience  common  to  all 
Christians. 

When  John  turns  to  address  the  more  mature  among  his 
readers,  he  calls  them  "fathers"  and  in  each  instance  the 
reason  assigned  is  this:    "because  ye  know  him  who  is 


I  John  2:  7-17  FELLOWSHIP  123 

from  the  beginning."  The  reference  is  to  Christ,  and  the 
suggestion  is  that  through  him  comes  the  knowledge  of 
God,  and  that  this  knowledge  increases  in  its  depth  and 
fullness  by  the  experiences  of  life,  by  the  pressure  of 
problems,  by  the  stress  of  sorrows,  by  the  changes  and 
mysteries  of  the  passing  years.   > 

The  other  special  group  of  readers  whom  John  addresses 
are  the  ''y^^^^ig  men."  He  declares  that  he  writes  to  them 
with  the  full  consciousness  that  they  "are  strong,"  that 
*'the  word  of  God  abideth"  in  them,  and  that  they  "have 
overcome  the  evil  one."  It  is  for  this  very  reason  that  he 
can  summon  them  to  further  conflict  in  the  battle  against 
*'the  world"  and  all  its  enticements.  For  such  a  struggle 
they  are  prepared ;  they  have  been  given  divine  strength, 
the  word  of  God  is  their  weapon,  and  they  are  confident 
in  the  victories  already  won  against  the  deadly  enemy  of 
their  souls. 

To  readers  such  as  these  John  may  well  give  his  great 
exhortation.  Those  who  "know  the  Father"  are  ready  to 
heed  the  warning,  "Love  not  the  world";  those  who  know 
the  eternal,  changeless  Christ  are  prepared  to  resist  the 
alluring  seductions  of  time  which  so  soon  are  passing  away; 
those  who  have  overcome  the  E\al  One  are  ready  to  with- 
stand his  familiar  forms  of  attack  in  "the  lust  of  the 
flesh  and  the  lust  of  the  eyes  and  the  vainglory  of  life." 

When  the  writer  speaks  here  of  "the  world,"  he,  of 
course,  does  not  refer  to  the  beautiful  world  of  nature,  with 
its  changing  seasons,  its  sunlight  and  flowers,  its  moun- 
tains, seas,  and  summer  skies.  Nor  does  he  refer  to  the 
complex  world  of  human  relationships,  with  its  duties  and 
joys,  its  friendships,  its  struggles,  its  triumphs,  and  its 
tears.  He  refers  to  "the  world"  of  unbelieving  men  and 
women,  to  the  society  of  the  unspiritual  and  the  godless. 
This  is  "the  world"  we  are  not  to  love.  We  are  not  to 
court  its  favors,  not  to  follow  its  customs,  not  to  adopt  its 
maxims,  not  to  covet  its  prizes.  "If  any  man  love  the 
world,  the  love  of  the  Father  is  not  in  him."  The  Christ- 
less  world  has  always  been  opposed  to  the  will  of  God.  It 
would  be  impossible  for  the  heart  to  be  set  upon  "the 
world,"  and  at  the  same  time  to  be  filled  with  love  for  the 


124  FIRST  JOHN  I  John  2 :  18-26 

Father.  For  what  are  the  three  main  elements  of  worldly 
life?  First,  "the  lust  of  the  flesh,"  by  which  is  meant  not 
the  natural  appetites  of  the  body  which  are  innocent,  but 
unlawful  desires  which  seek  to  enslave  the  soul.  Secondly, 
there  is  the  *'lust  of  the  eyes,"  the  appeal  which  is  made 
to  the  aesthetic  sense,  to  the  mind,  to  the  imagination, 
when  this  appeal  is  divorced  from  all  thought  of  God  and 
from  all  obedience  to  Christ.  Even  the  love  of  beauty 
and  the  love  of  knowledge  may  prove  to  be  worldly  sub- 
stitutes for  the  love  of  God. 

Lastly  there  is  "the  vainglory  of  life,"  the  pride  of  place 
and  possessions,  the  foolish  sense  of  security  and  satisfac- 
tion in  things  which  are  so  soon  to  vanish,  the  senseless 
gratification  in  conscious  superiority  to  others;  surely 
these  are  "not  of  the  Father,"  but  they  form  the  familiar 
features  of  "the  world." 

On  many  grounds  it  would  be  easy  to  condemn  the 
"love  of  the  world"  which  excludes  the  "love  of  the 
Father";  John  mentions  but  one,  and  solemnly  declares 
the  wisdom  of  a  contrary  choice:  "And  the  world  passe th 
away,  and  the  lust  thereof:  but  he  that  doeth  the  will  of 
God  abideth  for  ever." 

c.  Tested  by  BeUef.  Ch.  2  :  18-29 

18  Little  children,  it  is  the  last  hour:  and  as  ye  heard  that 
antichrist  cometh,  even  now  have  there  arisen  many  anti- 
christs; whereby  we  know  that  it  is  the  last  hour.  19  They 
went  out  from  us,  but  they  were  not  of  us ;  for  if  they  had  been 
of  us,  they  would  have  continued  with  us:  but  they  went  out, 
that  they  might  be  made  manifest  that  they  all  are  not  of  us. 
20  And  ye  have  an  anointing  from  the  Holy  One,  and  ye  know 
all  things.  21  I  have  not  written  unto  you  because  ye  know 
not  the  truth,  but  because  ye  know  it,  and  because  no  lie 
is  of  the  truth.  22  Who  is  the  liar  but  he  that  denieth  that 
Jesus  is  the  Christ?  This  is  the  antichrist,  even  he  that 
denieth  the  Father  and  the  Son.  23  Whosoever  denieth  the 
Son,  the  same  hath  not  the  Father:  he  that  confessetii  the 
Son  hath  the  Father  also.  24  As  for  you,  let  that  abide  in 
you  which  ye  heard  from  the  beginning.  If  that  which  ye 
heard  from  the  beginning  abide  in  you,  ye  also  shall  abide 
in  the  Son,  and  in  the  Father.  25  And  this  is  the  promise 
which  he  promised  us,  even  the  life  eternal.    26  These  tilings 


I  John  2 :  27-29  FELLOWSHIP  125 

have  I  written  unto  you  concerning  them  that  would  lead  you 
astray.  27  And  as  for  you,  the  anointing  which  ye  received 
of  him  abideth  in  you,  and  ye  need  not  that  any  one  teach 
you;  but  as  his  anointing  teacheth  you  concerning  all  things, 
and  is  true,  and  is  no  lie,  and  even  as  it  taught  you,  ye  abide 
in  him.  28  And  now,  my  little  children,  abide  in  him;  that, 
if  he  shall  be  manifested,  we  may  have  boldness,  and  not  be 
ashamed  before  him  at  his  coming.  29  If  ye  know  that  he  is 
righteous,  ye  know  that  every  one  also  that  doeth  righteous- 
ness is  begotten  of  him. 

John  had  just  been  speaking  of  the  passing  away  of 
"the  world."  He  referred  to  the  close  of  this  present  age, 
to  the  coming  of  Christ,  and  the  consequent  end  of  that 
order  in  which  lust  and  selfishness  and  vanity  are  con- 
trolling principles.  Now  he  affirms  that  the  time  may  be 
near:  "Little  children,  it  is  the  last  hour."  The  proof  is 
found  in  the  present  unbelief  and  opposition  to  Christ. 
It  has  been  predicted  that  when  Christ  returns  there  will 
be  in  existence  a  "man  of  sin,"  "the  beast,"  the  "anti- 
christ," whom  the  Lord  will  destroy.  The  manifestation 
of  this  antichristian  spirit  is  a  sure  sign  that  his  coming  may 
not  be  far  distant:  "Ye  heard  that  antichrist  cometh,  even 
now  have  there  arisen  many  antichrists;  whereby  we  know 
that  it  is  the  last  hour."  These  "antichrists"  John  sees 
in  the  persons  of  the  false  teachers  who  have  withdrawn 
from  the  Church.  Their  withdrawal  Is  a  sure  proof  that 
they  never  shared  In  the  real  life  and  fellowship  of  the 
Christian  communion;  otherwise  they  never  would  have 
fallen  away:  "They  went  out  from  us,  but  they  were  not 
of  us;  for  if  they  had  been  of  us,  they  would  have  continued 
with  us."  Their  going  out,  however.  Is  providential,  and 
is  a  real  benefit  to  the  Church:  "They  went  out,  that  they 
might  be  made  manifest  that  they  all  are  not  of  us." 
The  peril  to  the  Church  was  much  greater  before  the 
fact  was  thus  manifested  that  none  of  these  false  teachers 
was  a  real  Christian. 

John  insists,  however,  that  even  had  these  false  profes- 
sors remained  In  the  Church,  his  readers  would  have 
detected  them;  for  the  Holy  Spirit  abiding  with  all 
believers  gives  to  them  sure  knowledge  of  the  vital  truths 


126  FIRST  JOHN  I  John  2: 18-29 

which  these  apostate  teachers  deny.  This  is  what  is 
meant  by  the  statement:  "And  ye  have  an  anointing  from 
the  Holy  One,  and  ye  know  all  things."  The  Spirit 
enables  one  to  distinguish  essential  truth  from  error;  and 
surely  these  have  nothing  in  common  "because  no  lie  is 
of  the  truth." 

The  special  error  against  which  the  readers  are  warned 
relates  to  the  person  of  Christ:  "Who  is  the  liar  but  he 
that  denieth  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ?"  By  the  term 
"Christ"  is  meant  not  merely  the  "Messiah"  as  predicted 
by  the  Hebrew  prophets,  but  the  "Son  of  God,"  the  eternal 
"Word"  of  whom  John  writes.  To  deny  the  "incarnation,* 
to  deny  that  the  "Word"  who  "was  God,"  "became  flesh," 
to  deny  that  Jesus  is  at  once  the  ideal  Man  and  the  true 
God,  is  the  supreme  lie:  "This  is  the  antichrist."  The 
last  word  denotes  one  who  is  opposed  to  Christ  and  also 
one  who  appears  under  the  guise  of  Christ.  It  intimates 
the  pernicious  and  delusive  influence  of  those  who  profess 
the  name  of  Christian  and  yet  deny  that  Jesus  is  the  "Son 
of  God."  Such  a  denial  is  said  to  involve  a  denial  of  the 
Father  and  the  Son,  for  if  Jesus  Christ  was  not  God 
"manifested  in  the  flesh,"  as  he  claimed  to  be,  then  we  have 
no  full  and  saving  revelation  of  God:  "Whosoever  denieth 
the  Son,  the  same  hath  not  the  Father:  he  that  con- 
fesseth  the  Son  hath  the  Father  also." 

In  view  of  the  prevalence  of  such  false  teaching,  the 
readers  are  urged  to  keep  in  their  hearts,  continually,  the 
truth  concerning  Christ  which  they  have  received  from  his 
inspired  apostles;  for  if  that  abides  in  themi,  such  a  knowl- 
edge of  God  in  Christ  will  result  in  fellowship  with  God, 
or  as  John  here  affirms,  in  "the  life  eternal." 

Thus  solemn  is  the  warning  against  the  seductions  of 
false  teachers.  The  preceding  paragraph  was  a  warning 
against  the  allurements  of  "the  world."  There  love  of  the 
world  was  declared  to  be  a  proof  that  one  did  not  love 
God,  and  so  was  not  in  fellowship  with  God ;  here,  denial 
of  the  truth  concerning  Christ  is  declared  to  indicate  this 
lack  of  divine  fellowship.  Belief  is  thus  shown  to  be  a 
touchstone  of  character;  it  is  a  test  of  life.  It  is  more  than 
an  intellectual  assent  to  truth;   it  has  its  moral  elements 


I  John  2 :  18-29  FELLOWSHIP  127 

as  well;  it  consists  in  submission  to  a  Being  who  is  holy 
and  divine.  It  is  a  spiritual  experience  made  abiding 
by  the  indwelling  Spirit  of  God.  Therefore  John  again 
reminds  his  readers  of  that  "anointing"  which  they  have 
received,  as  a  result  of  which  they  need  not  be  troubled 
by  false  teaching.  "Ye  need  not  that  any  one  teach  you," 
does  not  mean,  however,  that  the  readers  have  no  need  of 
Christian  instruction,  as  the  former  statement,  "ye  know 
all  things,"  does  not  mean  that  they  are  infallible.  It  does 
mean  that  those  who  will  ponder  the  gospel  message,  and 
allow  the  Holy  Spirit  to  guide  them,  will  come  to  an 
enlarging  knowledge  and  a  joyful  assurance  of  the  truth 
concerning  Christ  as  the  divine  Son  of  God.  Thus  John 
closes  the  paragraph  with  the  exhortation  to  "abide  in 
him;  that,  if  he  shall  be  manifested,  we  may  have  bold- 
ness, and  not  be  ashamed  before  him  at  his  coming." 
This  abiding  in  Christ  wall  be  by  faith,  but  also  by  obedi- 
ence. These  are  inseparable.  Faith  in  Christ  is  a  test  of 
fellowship  with  God,  but  so,  too,  are  holiness  and  love. 
Therefore  John  can  add,  "Ye  know  that  every  one  alsc 
that  doeth  righteousness  is  begotten  of  him."  The  best 
way  to  assure  our  hearts,  so  that  with  joyful  confidence  w€ 
may  expect  the  return  of  Christ,  is  to  abide  in  him  with 
loving  trust  and  to  do  continually  his  holy  will. 


128  FIRST  JOHN  I  John  3: 1-10 


3.  The  Life  of  the  Children  of  God.    Ch.  3:1  to  4:6 

a.  Tested  by  Righteousness.     Ch.  3  :  1-10 

1  Behold  what  manner  of  love  the  Father  hath  bestowed 
upon  us,  that  we  should  be  called  children  of  God;  and 
such  we  are.  For  this  cause  the  world  knoweth  us  not, 
because  it  knew  him  not.  2  Beloved,  now  are  we  children  of 
God,  and  it  is  not  yet  made  manifest  what  we  shall  be.  We 
know  that,  if  he  shall  be  manifested,  we  shall  be  like  him; 
for  we  shall  see  him  even  as  he  is.  3  And  every  one  that 
hath  this  hope  set  on  him  purifieth  himself,  even  as  he  is  pure. 
4  Every  one  that  doeth  sin  doeth  also  lawlessness;  and  sin 
is  lawlessness.  5  And  ye  know  that  he  was  manifested  to 
take  away  sins;  and  in  him  is  no  sin.  6  Whosoever  abideth 
in  him  sinneth  not:  whosoever  sinneth  hath  not  seen  him, 
neither  knoweth  him.  7  My  little  children,  let  no  man  lead 
you  astray:  he  that  doeth  righteousness  is  righteous,  even  as 
he  is  righteous :  8  he  that  doeth  sin  is  of  the  devil ;  for  the  devil 
sinneth  from  the  beginning.  To  this  end  was  the  Son  of 
God  manifested,  that  he  might  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil. 
9  Whosoever  is  begotten  of  God  doeth  no  sin,  because  his 
seed  abideth  in  him:  and  he  cannot  sin,  because  he  is  begot- 
ten of  God.  10  In  this  the  children  of  God  are  manifest,  and 
the  children  of  the  devil:  whosoever  doeth  not  righteousness 
is  not  of  God,  neither  he  that  loveth  not  his  brother. 

In  the  preceding  chapters  the  Christian  life  has  been 
presented  under  the  figure  of  a  divine  fellowship;  in  the 
chapter  which  now  opens  it  is  represented  as  the  result  of 
a  divine  birth.  Believers  not  only  enjoy  fellowship  with 
God,  they  are  born  of  God  or  "begotten  of  him";  they 
partake  of  his  nature  and  are  the  "children  of  God." 
This  truth  was  stated  in  the  closing  verse  of  the  last  chap- 
ter; In  fact,  that  verse  might  well  be  regarded  as  forming 
the  introduction  to  this  paragraph:  "If  ye  know  that  he  is 
righteous,  ye  know  that  every  one  also  that  doeth  right- 
eousness Is  begotten  of  him."  Here  Is  affirmed  both  the 
fact  that  God  Imparts  a  new  life,  and  also  that  the  first 
test  of  this  life  is  righteousness. 

The  fact  is  In  itself  surprising,  astonishing;  the  apostle 
cannot  repress  an  exclamation  of  wonder:   "Behold  what 


I  John  3:  1-10         CHILDREN  OF  GOD  129 

manner  of  love  the  Father  hath  bestowed  upon  us,  that 
we  should  be  called  children  of  God."  It  should  be 
noted  that  the  phrase  "children  of  God"  is  distinct  from 
"sons  of  God."  Paul  more  commonly  employs  the  latter, 
John  the  former.  The  word  "sons"  denotes  position, 
rank,  legal  relationship;  but  "children"  denotes,  birth, 
origin,  oneness  of  nature;  it  is  like  the  Scotch  term 
"bairns";  it  means  "born  ones."  The  thought  here  is 
not  of  "sonship,"  as  is  commonly  stated,  but  of  a  new  birth ; 
not  of  "adoption"  but  of  "regeneration."  In  the  infinite 
love  of  God,  he  grants  to  all  who  believe  in  Christ  a  change 
of  moral  nature,  a  new  disposition,  a  spiritual  experience, 
so  vital  that  he  does  not  hesitate  to  call  them  his  "chil- 
dren," to  acknowledge  them  as  such,  and  to  regard  and 
treat  them  as  such:  "As  many  as  received  him,  to  them 
gave  he  the  right  to  become  children  of  God,  even  to  them 
that  believe  on  his  name:  who  were  born,  not  of  blood,  nor 
of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor  the  will  of  man,  but  of  God." 

However  surprising  these  statements  may  seem,  however 
great  the  mysteries  involved,  the  reality  is  beyond  ques- 
tion; so  that  John  adds  emphatically,  "and  such  we  are." 
The  words  do  not  apply  to  all  men.  "We,  Christians,  are 
called  children  of  God,"  is  what  John  is  saying.  While  it 
is  true  that  God  is  the  Father  of  all  men,  and  they  are  all 
his  children,  by  creation,  yet  it  is  also  true  that  there  is  a 
"new  creation,"  and  that  those  who  believe  in  Christ  are 
children  of  a  heavenly  birth,  are  truly  born  of  God,  are  the 
real  "children  of  God."  The  true  fatherhood  of  God  is 
never  fully  appreciated  until  one  draws  near  to  him  through 
Christ,  and  the  brotherhood  of  man  will  never  be  realized 
until  men  find  the  Father  through  Jesus  Christ  his  Son. 

Instead  of  including  all  men  in  the  term  "children  of 
God,"  John  by  that  term  sharply  distinguishes  Christians 
from  the  whole  mass  of  unbelieving  men  and  women; 
"for  this  cause  the  world  knoweth  us  not,  because  it  knew 
him  not."  Those  who  reject  Christ  should  not  be  expected 
to  understand  the  followers  of  Christ.  The  world  "knew 
him  not,"  even  "his  own  [countrymen]  .  .  .  received 
him  not";  it  is  not  strange  then  that  the  world  has  no 
sympathy  with  the  motives  and  aims  and  character  of  the 


130  FIRST  JOHN  I  John  3:  1-10 

"children  of  God"  who  follow  in  his  steps  or  reproduce  his 
life.  True  Christians  will  ever  be  mysterious  to  unbe- 
lievers. The  difference,  moreover,  is  destined  to  become 
greater.  Christians,  as  the  children  of  God,  are  growing 
in  likeness  to  the  Son  of  God;  and  "we  know  that,  if  he 
shall  be  manifested,  we  shall  be  like  him;  for  we  shall  see 
him  even  as  he  is."  This  blessed  hope,  to  be  realized  at 
the  coming  of  Christ,  concerns  chiefly  the  character,  the 
disposition,  the  moral  nature  which  will  be  transformed 
and  made  perfect,  by  the  direct  and  glorious  vision  of  the 
Lord ;  yet  it  includes  the  transfiguration  of  the  body,  which 
is  to  be  "conformed  to  the  body  of  his  glory." 

All  these  experiences  and  privileges  belong  to  those 
whom  God  calls  his  children;  but  who  are  they?  how  can 
they  be  discerned?  how  will  their  nature  be  manifested? 
John  replies:  "And  every  one  that  hath  this  hope  set  on 
him  purifieth  himself,  even  as  he  is  pure."  It  is  only 
natural  to  suppose  that  one  whose  life  is  fixed  upon  Christ 
will  be  imitating  Christ,  and  particularly  in  the  matter  of 
avoiding  sin  and  of  doing  righteousness.  John  enforces 
this  idea  by  three  or  four  considerations:  first,  by  the 
nature  of  sin;  it  is  "lawlessness,"  and  one  who  is  a  child 
of  God  surely  will  not  disregard  and  defy  the  law  of  God; 
secondly,  by  the  nature  of  Christ  and  of  his  work:  "He 
was  manifested  to  take  away  sins;  and  in  him  is  no  sin"; 
evidently  then  a  man  who  sins  can  have  no  real  acquaint- 
ance with  Christ:  he  "hath  not  seen  him,  neither  knoweth 
him";  thirdly,  by  the  fact  that  "sin  is  of  the  devil"; 
by  their  attitude  toward  sin,  then,  "the  children  of  God 
are  manifest,  and  the  children  of  the  devil";  fourthly, 
by  the  character  of  the  "new  birth";  it  consists  in  the 
imparting  of  a  new  life  principle,  a  divine  germ;  out  of 
it  sin  could  not  possibly  develop:  "Whosoever  is  begotten 
of  God  doeth  no  sin,  because  his  seed  abideth  in  him: 
and  he  cannot  sin,  because  he  is  begotten  of  God." 

From  all  this,  it  is  easy  to  understand  that  if  a  man  is  a 
Christian  he  will  do  what  is  right;  if  we  are  "children  of 
God"  we  may  be  expected  to  resemble  him  in  righteous- 
ness. A  grave  difficulty,  however,  exists  in  the  absolute 
and  unqualified  terms  which  John  employs.     He  says  that 


I  John  3:  1-10         CHILDREN  OF  GOD  131 

a  Christian  "doeth  no  sin,"  and  even  "cannot  sin."  As 
a  matter  of  fact  we  know  that  Christians  do  sin ;  and  John, 
in  the  first  two  and  in  the  last  chapters  of  his  epistle, 
tells  us  that  Christians  can  sin  and  suggests  what  they 
are  to  do  to  find  pardon  and  cleansing  when  they  have 
sinned. 

The  difficulty  is  resolved  by  some  in  supposing  that  the 
reference  is  to  a  particular  class  of  Christians  who  attain 
sinless  perfection;  but  this  contradicts  the  simple  state- 
ment of  the  apostle  which  is  universal:  "Whosoever  is 
begotten  of  God  doeth  no  sin  .    .    .  and  he  cannot  sin." 

Others  suppose  the  reference  is  to  the  ideal  and  theoreti- 
cal experience  of  a  Christian;  he  is  a  man  who  does  not 
expect  to  sin,  and  is  not  supposed  to  sin,  although  practic- 
ally he  does  sin  at  times.  However,  the  words  of  John  are 
rather  too  definite  for  such  an  explanation;  they  refer 
to  actual  sin;  and  they  say  that  one  "begotten  of  God 
.    .    .  cannot  sin." 

Others  explain  that  the  "new  nature"  cannot  sin,  though 
the  "old  nature"  may;  this  involves  a  false  theory  of  the 
human  mind;  such  belief  in  a  dual  personality  or  a  divided 
self  finds  no  support  in  Scripture  or  in  science. 

Still  others  suppose  that  the  reference  is  to  habitual 
states,  or  regular  practice;  that,  John  means  to  say, 
simply,  that  a  Christian  will  not  usually,  or  continually, 
sin.  liowever,  the  language  is  too  definite  for  this  possible 
explanation;    the  statement  is,  he  "cannot  sin." 

It  may  possibly  be  best  to  find  the  explanation  in  view 
of  the  errors  John  is  attempting  to  combat.  He  has  false 
teachers  in  mind.  "My  little  children,  let  no  man  lead 
you  astray:  he  that  doeth  righteousness  is  righteous." 
Evidently  these  teachers  were  suggesting  that  a  man  might 
be  righteous  even  though  he  were  doing  what  is  wrong. 
There  were  those  who  claimed  that  sin  concerned  only  the 
body,  and  that,  in  spite  of  impurity  of  Hfe,  the  soul  might 
not  be  stained;  and  others  taught  that  sinful  acts  might 
not  interfere  with  high  spiritual  states.  John  is  therefore 
making  an  unqualified  denial  of  an  unmitigated  lie.  In 
other  parts  of  the  epistle  he  makes  plain  his  understanding 
that  all  Christians  do  sin  and  have  need  of  continual 


132  FIRST  JOHN  I  John  3: 11-24 

cleansing.  Here,  however,  he  is  sharply  rebuking  those 
who  would  make  light  of  sin,  or  disguise  its  satanic  char- 
acter. He  does  not  pause  to  make  any  deductions  or  ob- 
vious qualifications.  He  declares  the  absolute  opposition 
between  sin  and  holiness,  between  lawlessness  and  right- 
eousness, between  the  "children  of  the  devil"  and  the 
"children  of  God."  Whatever  difficulty  may  be  involved 
in  his  particular  words,  he  burns  into  our  souls  the  truth 
that  one  who  has  his  hope  set  on  Christ  will  purify  himself 
"even  as  he  is  pure." 

h.  Tested  by  Love.    Ch.  3  :  11-24 

11  For  this  is  the  message  which  ye  heard  from  the  begin- 
ning, that  we  should  love  one  another:  12  not  as  Cain  was  of 
tiie  evil  one,  and  slew  his  brother.  And  wherefore  slew  he 
him?  Because  his  works  were  evil,  and  his  brother's  righteous. 

13  Marvel  not,  brethren,  if  the  world  hateth  you.  14 
We  know  that  we  have  passed  out  of  death  into  life,  because 
we  love  the  brethren.  He  that  loveth  not  abideth  in  death. 
15  Whosoever  hateth  his  brother  is  a  murderer:  and  ye  know 
that  no  murderer  hath  eternal  life  abiding  in  him.  16  Hereby 
know  we  love,  because  he  laid  down  his  life  for  us :  and  we 
ought  to  lay  down  our  lives  for  the  brethren.  17  But  whoso 
hath  the  world's  goods,  and  beholdeth  his  brother  in  need, 
and  shutteth  up  his  compassion  from  him,  how  doth  the  love 
of  God  abide  in  him?  18  My  little  children,  let  us  not  love 
in  word,  neither  with  the  tongue ;  but  in  deed  and  truth.  19 
Hereby  shall  we  know  that  we  are  of  the  truth,  and  shall 
assure  our  heart  before  him:  20  because  if  our  heart  condemn 
us,  God  is  greater  than  our  heart,  and  knoweth  all  things. 
21  Beloved,  if  our  heart  condemn  us  not,  we  have  boldness 
toward  God;  22  and  whatsoever  we  ask  we  receive  of  him, 
because  we  keep  his  commandments  and  do  the  things  that 
are  pleasing  in  his  sight.  23  And  this  is  his  commandment, 
that  we  should  believe  in  the  name  of  his  Son  Jesus  Christ, 
and  love  one  another,  even  as  he  gave  us  commandment. 
24  And  he  that  keepeth  his  commandments  abideth  in  him, 
and  he  in  him.  And  hereby  we  know  that  he  abideth  in  us, 
by  the  Spirit  which  he  gave  us. 

The  link  between  this  section  and  that  which  precedes 
is  found  in  the  tenth  verse  of  the  chapter:  "In  this  the 
children  of  God  are  manifest,  and  the  children  of  the  devil: 


I  John  3:  11-24       CHILDREN  OF  GOD  133 

whosoever  doeth  not  righteousness  is  not  of  God,  neither 
he  that  loveth  not  his  brother."  The  previous  paragraph 
applied  to  the  Christian  Hfe  the  test  of  righteousness;  here 
is  applied  the  test  of  love.  The  writer  regards  it  as  an 
obvious  test,  for  he  declares  that  the  whole  message  of  the 
life  and  character  of  Christ  was  a  message  of  love.  From 
the  beginning  of  their  acquaintance  with  him  it  had  been 
known  by  his  followers  that  they  must  obey  his  law  of 
love:  "For  this  is  the  message  which  ye  heard  from  the 
beginning,  that  we  should  love  one  another."  One  who 
is  a  child  of  God  will  surely  obey  the  law  revealed  by  the 
Son  of  God. 

To  impress  the  validity  of  this  test,  the  writer  is  about 
to  dwell  upon  the  supreme  example  of  self-sacrifice  given 
by  Christ;  but  he  first  summons  to  our  memory  the  darkly 
contrasting  figure  of  Cain.  The  demonic  nature  of  this 
first  murderer  is  evinced  by  the  motive  which  inspired 
his  cruel  deed;  it  was  envy,  one  of  the  most  subtle  and 
common  and  deadly  forms  of  hatred:  "Cain  was  of  the 
evil  one,  and  slew  his  brother  .  .  .  Because  his  works  were 
evil,  and  his  brother's  righteous."  Therefore  Christians, 
who  by  their  righteousness  show  themselves  children  of 
God,  need  not  be  surprised  at  the  enmity  of  the  unbe- 
lieving world:  "Marvel  not,  brethren,  if  the  world  hateth 
you."  Hatred  is  so  natural  and  so  universal,  that  love 
is  a  certain  proof  of  the  presence  in  one  of  a  new  life 
principle,  of  the  experience  of  a  new  birth,  of  the  possession 
of  a  new  moral  nature:  "We  know  that  we  have  passed 
out  of  death  into  life,  because  we  love  the  brethren." 
If  one  is  not  animated  by  love,  then  evidently  he  is  still 
in  a  state  of  spiritual  death,  he  has  not  been  born  of  God, 
he  is  not  a  "child  of  God."  "He  that  loveth  not  abideth 
in  death."  As  Christ  himself  taught,  in  his  Sermon  on  the 
Mount,  whosoever  hates  his  brother  is  a  murderer,  for  he 
is  cherishing  the  motive  which  would  result  in  the  act, 
were  all  restraints  removed  and  were  opportunity  given. 
Surely  one  who  is  so  disposed  cannot  have  the  nature  of 
God,  cannot  be  a  "child  of  God,"  cannot  have  "eternal 
life" :  "Ye  know  that  no  murderer  hath  eternal  life  abiding 
in  him." 


134  FIRST  JOHN  I  John  3: 11-24 

In  contrast  with  Cain,  the  embodiment  of  hatred, 
stands  the  radiant  form  of  Christ,  the  revelation  of  love: 
"Hereby  know  we  love,  because  he  laid  down  his  life  for 
us."  His  death  "for  us"  is  not  only  the  supreme  proof  of 
his  love;  it  is  the  required  measurement  of  ours:  "and  we 
ought  to  lay  down  our  lives,  for  the  brethren."  When 
occasion  arises,  when  necessity  demands,  we  ought  to  show 
such  devotion ;  we  owe  it  to  others,  we  owe  it  to  Christ,  we 
owe  it  to  ourselves,  for  thus  we  show  ourselves  to  be  the 
children  of  God.  These  present  years  are  giving  countless 
examples  of  such  heroic  self-sacrifice;  but  tests  of  a  less 
dramatic  character  are  ever  at  hand:  "Whoso  hath  the 
world's  goods,  and  beholdeth  his  brother  in  need,  and  shut- 
teth  up  his  compassion  from  him,  how  doth  the  love  of 
God  abide  in  him?"  This  "love  of  God"  is  the  love  which 
is  of  the  nature  of  God;  it  is  a  manifestation  of  that  new 
life  which  God  gives  to  his  children.  Lacking  this  "love 
of  God,"  how  can  one  claim  to  be  a  child  of  God?  Let 
love  be  shown  then,  if  we  are  Christians,  not  by  our 
hymns  and  our  professions  alone,  nor  by  our  admiration 
of  high  motives  and  heroic  acts,  but  by  our  daily  lives: 
"My  little  children,  let  us  not  love  in  word,  neither  with 
the  tongue;   but  in  deed  and  truth." 

It  is  true  that  when  we  judge  ourselves  by  these  high 
standards,  when  we  apply  to  ourselves  the  "tests"  insisted 
upon  in  this  epistle,  we  are  often  discouraged  and  our 
hearts  condemn  us.  Nevertheless,  if  love  has  been  the 
guiding  principle  of  our  lives,  then,  in  spite  of  occasional 
failures  and  of  conscious  faults,  we  shall  have  confidence 
that  we  are  the  children  of  God,  that  our  new  birth  is  a 
reality,  that  "we  are  of  the  truth."  Even  when  our  hearts 
condemn  us  as  we  are  confronted  with  the  memory  of  some 
great  defeat,  we  will  believe  that  "God  is  greater  than  our 
heart,"  that  he  "knoweth  all  things,"  and  that  he  recog- 
nizes our  love  toward  him,  and  our  faith  in  Christ,  and  the 
reality  of  the  new  life  he  has  implanted.  Otherwise  we 
could  have  no  confidence  in  prayer;  but  when  assured, 
by  the  test  of  love,  that  we  are  the  children  of  God,  then 
we  speak  to  him  with  freedom,  as  to  a  loving  Father,  and 
then  "whatsoever  we  ask  we  receive  of  him,  because  we 


I  John  4:  1-6  CHILDREN  OF  GOD  135 

keep  his  commandments."  This  latter  does  not  mean 
that  our  prayers  are  answered  as  a  reward  of  merit,  but 
rather  that  keeping  his  commandments  shows  that  we 
are  at  one  with  his  will,  and  so  living  and  praying  as  he 
would  have  us,  our  petitions  are  certain  to  be  fulfilled. 

Speaking  of  "commandments,"  John  reminds  us  that 
they  are  all  largely  comprehended  in  the  requirements  to 
believe  in  Christ,  and  to  love  one  another.  The  fruit  of 
these  requirements  he  emphasizes  in  the  following  para- 
graph ;  the  second  has  been  his  theme  in  this,  and  he  only 
pauses  to  insist  that  keeping  these  commandments  is  both 
a  condition  and  a  result  of  true  fellowship  with  God; 
it  deepens  the  assurance  which  is  imparted  to  us  by  the 
Spirit  of  God,  for  "hereby  we  know  that  he  abideth  in  us, 
by  the  Spirit  which  he  gave  us." 

c.  Tested  by  Belief.     Ch.  4  :  1-6 

1  Beloved,  believe  not  every  spirit,  but  prove  the  spirits, 
whether  they  are  of  God;  because  many  false  prophets  are 
gone  out  into  the  world.  2  Hereby  know  ye  the  Spirit  of 
God:  every  spirit  that  confesseth  that  Jesus  Christ  is  come 
in  the  flesh  is  of  God :  3  and  every  spirit  that  confesseth  not 
Jesus  is  not  of  God:  and  this  is  tlie  spirit  of  the  antichrist, 
whereof  ye  have  heard  that  it  cometh;  and  now  it  is  in  the 
world  already.  4  Ye  are  of  God,  my  little  children,  and  have 
overcome  them:  because  greater  is  he  that  is  in  you  than  he 
that  is  in  the  world.  5  They  are  of  the  world:  therefore 
speak  they  as  of  the  world,  and  the  world  heareth  them.  6 
We  are  of  God:  he  that  knoweth  God  heareth  us;  he  who  is 
not  of  God  heareth  us  not.  By  this  we  kaow  the  spirit  of 
truth,  and  the  spirit  of  error. 

It  is  noticeable  that  in  this  epistle  the  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  or  to  use  the  title  employed  by  John,  the  work 
of  "the  Spirit,"  or  the  work  of  "the  Spirit  of  God,"  is 
related  almost  exclusively  to  the  imparting  of  faith  and  the 
inspiring  of  belief.  Of  course  he  has  other  functions; 
but  John  refers  to  him  as  specifically  "the  spirit  of  truth," 
whom  Jesus  thus  described,  and  of  whom  he  said,  "He 
shall  guide  you  into  all  the  truth"  and  "He  shall  bear 
witness  of  me." 


136  FIRST  JOHN  I  John  4: 1-6 

Therefore,  as  in  the  close  of  the  last  chapter,  belief  "in 
the  name  of  his  Son  Jesus  Christ,"  is  related  to  the  pres- 
ence of  "the  Spirit  which  he  gave  us,"  so,  as  this  chapter 
opens,  the  assurance  that  one  is  a  child  of  God  is  based  on 
the  confession,  inspired  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  that  "Jesus 
Christ  is  come  in  the  flesh." 

There  are  manifest  among  men  many  other  "spirits," 
and  many  false  teachers,  who  claim  to  be  inspired  of  God ; 
against  these  John  warns  his  readers  and  declares  that  the 
crucial  test  of  all  teachers  is  their  attitude  toward  Christ: 
"Beloved,  believe  not  every  spirit,  but  prove  the  spirits, 
whether  they  are  of  God ;  .  .  .  every  spirit  that  confesseth 
not  Jesus  is  not  of  God."  Those  to  whom  John  referred 
had  "gone  out  into  the  world";  they  had  left  the  Church 
and  joined  the  society  of  the  godless  and  the  unbelieving; 
they  claimed  to  be  "spiritual,"  to  be  "Christian,"  to  be 
"divinely  inspired,"  but  in  reality  their  "spirit"  was  that 
of  antichrist;  even  worse,  it  was  the  "spirit"  of  the 
"prince  of  this  world,"  the  Devil.  By  these  "false  proph- 
ets," however,  the  readers  of  the  epistle  had  not  been 
led  astray;  as  the  children  of  God,  they  had  been 
strengthened  by  the  Spirit  of  God  and  had  defeated  "the 
spirit  of  error";  "Ye  are  of  God,"  writes  the  apostle, 
"and  have  overcome  them:  because  greater  is  he  that  is 
in  you  than  he  that  is  in  the  world."  These  "false 
prophets,"  nevertheless,  were  very  popular;  they  were  "of 
the  world,"  their  spirit  was  in  perfect  sympathy  with  the 
spirit  of  the  world,  and  as  their  teachings  were  determined 
by  this  spirit,  they  were  consequently  exactly  such  as  the 
world  delighted  to  hear.  By  way  of  contrast,  John  and 
his  fellow  apostles,  claimed  to  be  "of  God,"  and  to  be 
guided  by  his  Spirit;  therefore  the  children  of  God  re- 
ceived their  testimony,  which  the  "false  prophets"  and  the 
world  rejected:  "We  are  of  God:  he  that  knoweth  God 
heareth  us;  he  who  is  not  of  God  heareth  us  not."  From 
all  that  has  gone  before,  the  apostle  concludes  that  it  is 
always  possible  to  distinguish  between  truth  and  error; 
by  the  attitude  toward  Christ,  as  truly  human  while  very 
God,  every  spirit  can  be  tested,  whether  the  spirit  is  that 
of  a  "false  prophet,"  or  of  an  apostle,  or  of  the  humblest 


I  John  4:  1-6  CHILDREN  OF  GOD  137 

and  most  obscure  believer:  "Every  spirit  that  confesseth 
that  Jesus  Christ  is  come  in  the  flesh  is  of  God:  .  .  .  By 
this  we  know  the  spirit  of  truth,  and  the  spirit  of  error." 

As  in  the  days  of  John,  so  to-day  many  false  prophets 
have  "gone  out  into  the  world."  Never  have  there  existed 
a  larger  number  of  conflicting  voices  claiming  to  teach  not 
only  religions  but  Christian  truth.  We  need  to  test  the 
spirits.  We  must  remember  that  "spiritual"  does  not 
necessarily  mean  "holy" ;  many  teachers  who  claim  to  deal 
with  mysteries  and  "visions"  in  realms  which  are  beyond 
the  visible  and  the  material,  many,  too,  who  proclaim 
lofty  sentiments  and  poetic  fancies,  are  themselves  false 
and  ignorant  and  impure. 

Nor  yet  does  "supernatural"  mean  "divine."  What 
John  actually  meant  by  the  word  "spirits"  may  be  a  matter 
of  dispute;  he  surely  implied  that  beings  of  a  superhuman 
order  are  not  therefore  "of  God,"  but  may  be  satanic  and 
demonic.  We  live  at  a  time  when,  as  never  before,  men 
are  seeking  aid  from  "spirits."  Broken  and  bleeding 
hearts  groping  in  the  dark  for  comfort,  longing  for  mes- 
sages from  loved  ones  whom  death  has  snatched  away, 
are  turning  in  pitiful  credulity  to  those  who  claim  com- 
munion with  the  unseen  world.  That  the  "mediums" 
through  whom  these  "messages"  come,  are  usually  fraudu- 
lent and  deceitful,  it  is  not  difficult  to  prove.  Even 
admitting  some  modicum  of  reality  in  their  claims  does  not 
forbid  the  conclusion  that  the  source  of  their  alleged  power 
is  demonic.  The  real  test  which  must  be  applied  is  this: 
"Every  spirit  that  confesseth  not  Jesus  is  not  of  God." 
Confronted  by  some  things  which  are  mysterious,  threat- 
ened by  countless  delusions  which  hide  under  the  name  of 
"Christians,"  opposed  by  systems  of  proud  unbelief,  we  do 
well  to-day  to  heed  the  warning  of  the  apostle:  "Beloved, 
believe  not  every  spirit,  but  prove  the  spirits,  whether  they 
are  of  God." 

What  strange  contrasts  John  here  sets  forth:  the  Church 
and  the  world,  the  spirit  of  truth  and  the  spirit  of  error, 
Christ  and  Satan,  false  prophets  and  inspired  apostles,  the 
Spirit  of  God  and  the  spirit  of  antichrist;  but  the  line  of 
cleavage  is  clearly  stated:    there  is  one  invariable  test — 


138  FIRST  JOHN  I  John  4: 1-6 

the  attitude  toward  Jesus,  the  divine  Son  of  God.  Above 
all  the  problems  in  the  world  of  religion  and  philosophy, 
there  stands  forth  one  supreme  question:  "What  think  ye 
of  Christ?"  This  furnishes  the  touchstone  of  character, 
the  test  of  belief,  the  proof  of  spiritual  life. 


I  John  4:7-21  SOURCE  OF  LOVE  139 


4.  The  Source  of  Love.    Ch.  4  : 7-21 

7  Beloved,  let  us  love  one  another:  for  love  is  of  God; 
and  every  one  that  loveth  is  begotten  of  God,  and  knoweth 
God.  8  He  that  loveth  not  knoweth  not  God;  for  God  is 
love.  9  Herein  was  the  love  of  God  manifested  in  us,  that 
God  hath  sent  his  only  begotten  Son  into  the  world  that  we 
might  live  through  him.  10  Herein  is  love,  not  that  we  loved 
God,  but  that  he  loved  us,  and  sent  his  Son  to  be  the  pro- 
pitiation for  our  sins.  11  Beloved,  if  God  so  loved  us,  we  also 
ought  to  love  one  another.  12  No  man  hath  beheld  God  at 
any  time :  if  we  love  one  another,  God  abideth  in  us,  and  his 
love  is  perfected  in  us :  13  hereby  we  know  that  we  abide  in 
him  and  he  in  us,  because  he  hath  given  us  of  his  Spirit.  14 
And  we  have  beheld  and  bear  witness  that  the  Father  hath 
sent  the  Son  to  be  the  Saviour  of  the  world.  15  Whosoever 
shall  confess  that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God,  God  abideth  in 
him,  and  he  in  God.  16  And  we  know  and  have  believed  the 
love  which  God  hath  in  us.  God  is  love ;  and  he  that  abideth 
in  love  abideth  in  God,  and  God  abideth  in  him.  17  Herein 
is  love  made  perfect  with  us,  that  we  may  have  boldness  in 
the  day  of  judgment;  because  as  he  is,  even  so  are  we  in  this 
world.  18  There  is  no  fear  in  love :  but  perfect  love  casteth 
out  fear,  because  fear  hath  punishment;  and  he  that  feareth 
is  not  made  perfect  in  love.  19  We  love,  because  he  first 
loved  us.  20  If  a  man  say,  I  love  God,  and  hateth  his  brother, 
he  is  a  liar :  for  he  that  loveth  not  his  brother  whom  he  hath 
seen,  cannot  love  God  whom  he  hath  not  seen.  21  And  this 
commandment  have  we  from  him,  that  he  who  loveth  God 
love  his  brother  also. 

Twice  before  in  the  course  of  this  epistle  love  has  been 
treated  as  a  test  of  Christian  life.  In  the  second  chapter 
it  was  the  "commandment"  which  one  in  fellowship  with 
God  would  keep;  in  the  third,  it  was  a  sign  of  likeness  to 
the  Father,  which  "children  of  God"  would  show;  here  it 
is  a  disposition  which  is  traced  to  its  source  in  the  very- 
nature  of  God  as  manifested  in  the  gift  of  his  Son.  In 
following  this  thought  the  writer  reaches  the  profoundest 
depths  and  loftiest  heights  of  his  discussion.  The  para- 
graph is  a  worthy  complement  to  the  matchless  "hymn  of 
love"  sung  by  Paul  in  the  thirteenth  chapter  of  his  Epistle 


140  FIRST  JOHN  I  John  4: 7-21 

to  the  Corinthians,  for  it  gives  to  the  virtue  which  Paul 
praises  its  mighty  motive,  and  finds  its  birth  in  the  being 
of  God. 

From  another  point  of  view  also,  the  epistle  here  reaches 
a  climax  and  is  found  to  be  no  mere  series  of  tests  by  which 
a  fact  is  discovered  or  on  which  an  assurance  is  to  be  based, 
but  a  practical  message  of  encouragement.  It  is  designed 
not  only  to  give  tests  of  life,  but  to  urge  the  fuller  manifes- 
tations of  that  life.  It  is  intended  to  secure  not  a  mental 
verdict  but  a  moral  resolve,  not  a  surer  belief  but  a 
deeper  experience.  "Beloved,"  writes  the  apostle,  "let 
us  love  one  another." 

The  exhortation  is  enforced  by  the  statement  that 
"love  is  of  God";  it  is  therefore  the  supreme  test  both  of 
being  born  of  God  and  of  having  fellowship  with  God: 
"Every  one  that  loveth  is  begotten  of  God,  and  knoweth 
God.  He  that  loveth  not  knoweth  not  God;  for  God  is 
love."  This  sublime  statement  as  to  the  nature  of 
God  is  unsurpassed  in  all  Scripture:  "God  is  love." 
Thrice  in  this  brief  paragraph  the  truth  is  affirmed.  Here 
the  statement  is  followed  by  a  description  of  the  supreme 
expression  of  divine  love:  "Herein  was  the  love  of  God 
manifested  in  us,  that  God  hath  sent  his  only  begotten 
Son  into  the  world  that  we  might  live  through  him." 
This  is  in  fact  the  expression  of  love  in  its  very  essence: 
"Herein  is  love,  not  that  we  loved  God,  but  that  he  loved 
us,  and  sent  his  Son  to  be  the  propitiation  for  our  sins." 
Thus  the  love  of  God  was  shown  in  the  greatness  of  his 
gift:  he  not  only  sent  a  Saviour;  he  sent  his  own  Son, 
his  only  Son.  His  love  appeared  further  in  the  benefit 
received,  namely  life,  eternal  life,  for  all  believers:  "that 
we  might  live  through  him."  This  was  ideal,  essential 
love,  for  it  was  shown  toward  the  unworthy  and  unlovely. 
The  love  of  man  for  God  would  not  have  been  so  surprising, 
but,  "Herein  is  love,  not  that  we  loved  God,  but  that  he 
loved  us."  This  love  involved  an  infinite  cost,  of  sacrifice, 
of  suffering  and  death,  to  secure  the  forgiveness  of  sins; 
this  God  provided;  he  "sent  his  Son  to  be  the  propitiation 
for  our  sins." 

If  such  is  the  nature  of  God's  love,  we  must  show  that 


I  John  4:7-21  SOURCE  OF  LOVE  141 

we  are  his  children  by  a  love  like  his,  in  its  disposition  to- 
ward others,  and  in  a  love  which  finds  its  supreme  motive 
in  gratitude  for  the  gift  of  his  Son.  First  then,  in  passion 
for  the  good  of  others,  our  life  must  be  manifested:  "Be- 
loved, if  God  so  loved  us,  we  also  ought  to  love  one  an- 
other." It  is  our  duty,  but  it  is  the  necessary  expression 
of  our  nature,  not  only  to  love  God  for  his  goodness,  but 
"to  love  one  another,"  for  God  is  invisible;  we  can  seek 
or  desire  to  confer  no  benefit  on  him:  "No  man  hath 
beheld  God  at  any  time" ;  but  if  we  seek  the  good  of  others, 
then  we  manifest  his  nature:  "God  abideth  in  us,  and  his 
love  is  perfected  in  us."  We  are  certain  that  he  dwells 
within,  for  love  is  the  fruit  of  his  Spirit;  "hereby  we  know 
that  we  abide  in  him  and  he  in  us,  because  he  hath  given 
us  of  his  Spirit."  More  particularly,  his  Spirit  is  the 
Author  of  belief;  and  our  love  has  a  divine  source  if  it  is 
associated  with  the  acceptance  of  Christ  as  our  divine  and 
crucified  Saviour,  and  if  this  belief  becomes  the  motive 
of  our  love  for  one  another:  "We  have  beheld  and  bear 
witness  that  the  Father  hath  sent  the  Son  to  be  the  Saviour 
of  the  world.  Whosoever  shall  confess  that  Jesus  is  the 
Son  of  God,  God  abideth  in  him,  and  he  in  God."  In  him 
we  see  the  love  of  God  manifested:  "And  we  know  and 
have  believed  the  love  which  God  hath  in  us.  God  is 
love;  and  he  that  abideth  in  love  abideth  in  God,  and  God 
abideth  in  him." 

God  is  love,  but  love  is  not  God.  Not  every  manifesta- 
tion of  charity  or  kindness  or  benevolence  or  sacrifice  is  a 
sign  of  a  new  birth  or  of  being  a  child  of  God.  We  must 
take  our  stand  near  the  cross.  When  love  is  associated 
with  faith  and  devotion  toward  Jesus  the  Son  of  God,  then 
it  becomes  a  proof  of  "life  eternal." 

From  such  love  two  results  are  certain  to  follow:  con- 
fidence toward  God,  and  charity  toward  men.  If  we  fully 
realize  the  love  of  God  revealed  in  Christ,  we  shall  not 
stand  in  dread  of  God;  and  if  this  love  is  the  principle 
of  our  lives  we  shall  have  no  fear  of  judgment,  for,  as  the 
children  of  God,  we  are  in  this  world  like  Christ  the  Son  of 
God,  in  our  love,  our  confidence,  our  trustful  relation  to 
the  Father:  -"Herein  is  love  madei  perfect  with  us,  that  we 


142  FIRST  JOHN  I  John  4: 7-21 

may  have  boldness  in  the  day  of  judgment;  because  as  he 
is,  even  so  are  we  in  this  world.  There  is  no  fear  in  love: 
but  perfect  love  casteth  out  fear,  because  fear  hath  punish- 
ment; and  he  that  feareth  is  not  made  perfect  in  love." 

Quite  as  truly,  if  we  realize  God's  love  for  us,  we  shall 
love  one  another:  "We  love,  because  he  first  loved  us." 
Not  only  do  we  love  God,  but  love  becomes  the  animating 
principle  of  our  life.  This  principle  has  its  source  in  the 
love  of  God  for  us.  It  finds  its  natural  and  first  expression 
in  our  love  for  one  another.  "If  a  man  say,  I  love  God, 
and  hateth  his  brother,  he  is  a  liar:  for  he  that  loveth 
not  his  brother  who  he  hath  seen,  cannot  love  God  whom  he 
hath  not  seen."  The  test  is  simple  and  obvious.  If  one 
does  not  love  his  brother,  then  love  is  not  ruling  his  life. 
It  is  foolish  to  boast  of  love,  particularly  to  an  unseen 
person,  when  love  is  not  being  shown  and  felt  toward  one 
who  is  seen  daily,  walking  in  the  same  sphere  of  life,  to 
whom  it  is  much  more  easy  to  express  affection  and 
devotion.  Life  cannot  have  two  supreme  motives,  two 
opposing  ruling  principles.  Love  for  God  is  inseparable 
from  love  for  men.  Hatred  for  men  is  a  proof  that  love 
is  not  controlling  the  life;  it  shows  one  to  be  a  liar  if  he  is 
boasting  his  love  for  God.  Christ  himself  taught  us  that 
if  one  is  keeping  the  supreme  commandment  he  will  love 
God  with  his  whole  heart  and  his  neighbor  as  himself: 
"This  commandment  have  we  from  him,  that  he  who  loveth 
God  love  his  brother  also." 


I  John  5 ;  1-5  RIGHTEOUSNESS  143 


5.  The  Triumph  of  Righteousness.    Ch.  5  : 1-5 

1  Whosoever  believeth  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ  is  begotten 
of  God :  and  whosoever  loveth  him  that  begat  loveth  him  also 
that  is  begotten  of  him.  2  Hereby  we  know  that  we  love  the 
children  of  God,  when  we  love  God  and  do  his  command- 
ments. 3  For  this  is  the  love  of  God,  that  we  keep  his  com- 
mandments: and  his  commandments  are  not  grievous.  4 
For  whatsoever  is  begotten  of  God  overcometh  the  world: 
and  this  is  the  victory  that  hath  overcome  the  world,  even 
our  faith.  5  And  who  is  he  that  overcometh  the  world,  but 
he  that  believeth  that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God? 

In  these  brief,  beautiful  phrases  we  are  facing  the  great, 
molding  thoughts  of  the  epistle.  Here  the  life  imparted 
by  God  to  his  children  is  tested  by  righteousness,  by  love, 
and  by  belief.  Here,  also,  appears  the  close  relation 
between  these  three  elements  of  the  Christian  life;  love 
is  shown  by  righteousness,  and  righteousness  is  secured  by 
faith.  Here,  as  in  no  previous  paragraph,  the  way  of 
keeping  God's  commandments,  the  way  of  overcoming  the 
world,  is  pointed  out;  here  we  are  shown  how  righteous- 
ness may  triumph  over  sin. 

We  should  notice,  however,  what  Is  said  of  belief  and  of 
love.  The  former  is  mentioned  as  an  absolute  proof  that 
one  is  a  child  of  God:  "Whosoever  believeth  that  Jesus  is 
the  Christ  is  begotten  of  God."  Here  the  term  ''Christ" 
refers  not  only  to  the  redeeming  work  of  Jesus,  or  to  his 
"anointing"  by  the  Spirit  of  God  for  that  work,  but,  more 
specifically,  to  his  divine  nature;  it  has  its  parallel  in  the 
last  phrase  of  the  fifth  verse:  "Jesus  Is  the  Son  of  God." 
One  who  does  not  so  believe  Is  not  a  child  of  God,  and  has 
no  right  to  the  name  of  Christian;  for  to  deny  this  truth 
is  to  manifest  the  Spirit  of  antichlrst.  However,  it  Is  of 
comfort  and  cheer  to  the  humblest  Christian  to  be  as- 
sured that  a  real,  Intelligent  belief  In  Christ  as  the  Son  of 
God  Is  a  positive  proof  of  being  a  child  of  God. 

As  to  love,  John  here  suggests  that  It  is  also  a  natural 
expression  of  the  new  life  Imparted  by  God;  and  he  fixes 


144  FIRST  JOHN  I  John  5: 1-5 

the  thought  again,  as  in  the  previous  chapter,  upon  the 
fact  that  love  to  God  and  love  to  man  are  inseparable: 
"Whosoever  loveth  him  that  begat  loveth  him  also  that  is 
begotten  of  him."  It  will  be  but  natural  for  the  child  of 
God  to  love  the  children  of  God;  this  is  but  the  instinct 
of  the  new  birth.  John  adds,  however,  what  is  of  vital 
importance,  and  what  until  now  he  has  not  stated  with 
such  clearness,  namely,  that  love  to  man  must  be  regulated 
and  characterized  by  love  and  obedience  to  God:  "Hereby 
we  know  that  we  love  the  children  of  God,  when  we  love 
God  and  do  his  commandments."  That  is,  we  know  that 
our  love  is  of  the  right  kind,  we  know  that  it  is  truly  love, 
we  know  that  the  sentiment  is  worthy  of  the  name,  when 
it  is  in  accord  with  love  to  God  and  submission  to  his  will. 
There  is  much  that  is  called  by  the  name  of  love  which  is 
purely  selfish,  even  sinful.  It  is  well  for  us  to  be  reminded 
that  love  must  be  tested  by  righteousness.  As  John  had 
previously  stated  that  love  to  God  is  inseparable  from  love 
to  men,  so  here  he  is  insisting  that  love  to  men  is  insepara- 
ble from  love  to  God,  and  that  love  to  God  is  expressed 
in  doing  his  will :  "For  this  is  the  love  of  God,  that  we  keep 
his  commandments." 

Thus  John  reaches  the  heart  of  this  paragraph,  as  he 
mentions  the  "commandments"  of  God.  He  has  spoken 
of  belief  and  of  love;  he  now  treats  of  righteousness  and 
its  possible  triumph.  "His  commandments"  he  affirms, 
"are  not  grievous."  They  are  not  too  hard  to  obey; 
they  are  not  unreasonable  in  their  demands;  for  he  gives 
the  grace  needed  for  their  fulfillment.  Of  course  difficul- 
ties are  involved;  effort  is  required;  John  does  not  deny 
this.  Any  man  who  resolves  to  obey  God  will  have  con- 
tinual apposition.  "The  world"  does  not  love  God  or  his 
commandments;  its  maxims,  its  principles,  its  ideals,  its 
spirit,  are  all  contrary  to  his  will.  For  the  Christian,  con- 
flict is  certain;  but  victory  is  likewise  assured;  the 
divine  energy  imparted  by  God  is  mightier  than  the  power 
of  the  world:  "For  whatsoever  is  begotten  of  God  over- 
cometh  the  world."  The  weapon  which  secures  the  vic- 
tory is  faith.  For  the  believer,  the  triumph  is  regarded  as 
already  won:   "and  this  is  the  victory  that  hath  overcome 


John  5: 1-5  RIGHTEOUSNESS  145 

the  world,  even  our  faith."  This  is  true  potentially, 
and  in  principle,  but  practically  the  battle  must  be  fought 
out  in  daily  experiences.  When  one  has  put  his  trust  in 
Christ  he  is  once  and  for  all  on  the  side  of  victory ;  but  as 
the  unbelieving  world  continually  assaults  him,  he  must 
continually  depend  upon  Christ  for  strength  and  for 
triumph.  It  is  of  interest  to  notice  that  this  is  the  only 
place  where  the  word  "faith"  is  found,  not  only  in  this 
epistle  but  in  all  the  writings  of  John.  The  verb  "believe" 
is  frequent.  Possibly  it  may  be  the  purpose  of  John  to 
call  attention  to  the  object  of  "faith"  or  to  the  content  of 
belief,  for  he  at  once  adds:  "And  who  is  he  that  overcometh 
the  world,  but  he  that  believeth  that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of 
God."  It  does  matter  what  one  believes  relative  to  Jesus 
Christ;  yet  moral  victory  is  secured  not  by  the  acceptance 
of  certain  truths  about  Christ,  but  by  a  definite  act  of 
faith  in  which  the  whole  being  is  committed  to  him,  in 
obedience  and  trust  and  love. 


146  FIRST  JOHN  I  John  5: 6-12 


6.  The  Grounds  of  Belief.    Ch.  5  : 6-12 

6  This  is  he  that  came  by  water  and  blood,  even  Jesus 
Christ;  not  with  the  water  only,  but  with  the  water  and 
with  the  blood.  7  And  it  is  the  Spirit  that  beareth  witness, 
because  the  Spirit  is  the  truth.  8  For  there  are  three  who 
bear  witness,  the  Spirit,  and  the  water,  and  the  blood:  and 
the  three  agree  in  one.  9  If  we  receive  the  witness  of  men, 
the  witness  of  God  is  greater:  for  the  witness  of  God  is  this, 
that  he  hath  borne  witness  concerning  his  Son.  10  He  that 
believeth  on  the  Son  of  God  hath  the  witness  in  him:  he  that 
believeth  not  God  hath  made  him  a  liar;  because  he  hath 
not  believed  in  the  witness  that  God  hath  borne  concerning 
his  Son.  11  And  the  witness  is  this,  that  God  gave  unto  us 
eternal  life,  and  this  life  is  in  his  Son.  12  He  tiiat  hath  the 
Son  hath  the  life ;  he'that  hath  not  the  Son  of  God  hath  not 
the  life. 

Having  declared  that  victory  over  the  world  is  secured 
by  faith  in  Jesus  as  the  divine  Son  of  God,  John  proceeds 
to  show  the  grounds  on  which  such  a  belief  is  based. 
Among  these  he  includes  {a)  historic  facts,  (b)  divine 
testimony,  (c)  Christian  experience. 

a.  The  first  proof,  then,  that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God  is 
found  in  the  gospel  narrative.  The  works  and  words  of 
Christ,  together  with  the  interpretation  which  he  placed 
upon  his  person  and  mission,  warrant  such  a  belief.  These 
facts  are  all  summed  up  and  symbolized  in  two  significant 
events  of  his  career,  in  his  baptism  and  his  crucifixion: 
"This  is  he  that  came  by  water  and  blood,  even  Jesus 
Christ."  It  will  be  remembered  that  while  the  body 
of  Jesus  was  still  hanging  on  the  cross,  after  his  Spirit  had 
departed,  "one  of  the  soldiers  with  a  spear  pierced  his 
side,  and  straightway  there  came  out  blood  and  water." 
Whatever  mystery  may  have  been  involved,  the  fact  seems 
to  have  impressed  John  most  deeply;  he  alone  of  the  Gos- 
pel writers  narrates  the  event  and  he  does  so  in  terms 
which  indicate  his  view  of  its  signal  importance.  To  him 
it  was,  for  whatever  reason,  a  proof  of  the  divine  nature 


I  John  5:  6-12       GROUNDS  OF  BELIEF  147 

of  his  Lord,  and  he  records  it  that  this  readers  "may 
believe."  So  here,  in  his  epistle,  he  refers  to  "the  water" 
and  "the  blood"  as  summarizing  and  symbolizing  the  whole 
gospel  narrative.  In  the  water  of  baptism  and  in  the  blood 
of  his  cross,  Christ  was  manifested  as  the  Saviour  of  the 
world ;  he  appeared  as  the  One  who  could  meet  the  world's 
need  of  cleansing  and  of  pardon,  of  new  spiritual  life  and  of 
atonement  for  sin.  Then,  also,  at  his  baptism  he  heard 
the  voice  of  the  Father  saying:  "This  is  my  beloved  Son" ; 
and  at  the  crucifixion,  when  the  spear  was  thrust  into  his 
side,  John  saw  the  fulfillment  of  the  prophecy  which  con- 
cerned the  divine  Christ:  "They  shall  look  on  him  whom 
they  pierced."  Thus  the  baptism  and  the  crucifixion, 
with  all  that  they  included  and  indicated,  were  proofs  that 
"Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God." 

John  specially  emphasizes  the  crucifixion :  "Not  with  the 
water  only,  but  with  the  water  and  with  the  blood."  He 
was  probably  seeking  to  rebuke  the  heretics  of  his  day,  who 
were  attempting  to  separate  between  the  human  Jesus  and 
the  heavenly  "Christ."  They  held  that  the  divine 
Being,  "Christ,"  came  upon  Jesus  at  the  baptism  but 
left  him  just  before  his  crucifixion.  John  affirms  that  the 
Being  who  was  baptized  was  identical  with  the  Being  who 
was  crucified;  he  was  the  Son  of  God,  both  in  his  life  and 
in  his  death.  A  similar  error  needs  to  be  met  to-day,  as  it 
appears  in  a  double  aspect:  first,  in  those  who  deny  the 
divine  person  of  our  Lord,  as  they  attempt  to  distinguish 
between  "Jesus"  and  "the  Christ";  and,  second,  in  those 
who  deny  the  atoning  work  of  our  Lord,  as  they  praise 
his  power  to  purify  and  ennoble  life,  but  refuse  to  regard 
his  death  as  a  sacrifice  for  sin.  We  need  to-day  this  mes- 
sage of  John :  "Not  with  the  water  only,  but  with  the  water 
and  with  the  blood."  First  of  all,  then,  Christian  faith 
is  founded  on  historic  facts. 

b.  The  second  ground  of  belief  is  found  in  the  witness  of 
the  Holy  Spirit:  "And  it  is  the  Spirit  that  beareth  witness, 
because  the  Spirit  is  the  truth."  Here  we  may  seem  to  be 
entering  the  realm  of  mystery;  but  the  teaching  of  Scrip- 
ture is  clear.  Christian  belief  is  described  as  an  inspira- 
tion of  the  divine  Spirit.     His  office  is  to  testify  to  that 


148  FIRST  JOHN  I  John  5: 6-12 

which  is  true,  and  particularly  concerning  Jesus  Christ: 
"The  Spirit  is  the  truth."  No  one  may  have  direct  con- 
sciousness of  his  presence  or  testimony ;  on  the  other  hand 
no  one  can  really  believe  in  the  divine  Christ  without  the 
aid  and  the  illumination  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  Christian 
belief  is  not  due  merely  to  mental  deductions  drawn  from 
the  facts  of  the  gospel.  Our  faith  is  never  the  ground  of 
boasting.  When  one  confesses  his  faith,  he  is  reminded 
that  "Flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed  it  unto  thee,  but 
my  Father  who  is  in  heaven."  However,  the  two  are 
commonly  inseparable,  and  they  unite  to  establish  the  one 
fact;  the  gospel  narrative  and  the  divine  Spirit  combine 
in  producing  belief.  The  Spirit  agrees  with  the  water  and 
the  blood  in  testifying  to  this  one  great  truth,  that  "Jesus 
is  the  Son  of  God" ;  "For  there  are  three  who  bear  witness, 
the  Spirit,  and  the  water,  and  the  blood:  and  the  three 
agree  in  one."  The  Spirit  employs  the  word  of  Christ, 
but  also  the  sacraments  of  the  Church,  to  inspire  and  sus- 
tain our  faith.  It  is  not  strange  that  believers,  through 
all  the  centuries,  have  found  references  to  baptism  and  the 
Lord's  Supper  in  the  words  "the  water"  and  "the  blood." 
These  ordinances  the  Spirit  employs  to  set  forth  the  cleans- 
ing and  atoning  work  of  Christ  and  the  new  life  he  imparts; 
they  are  his  witnesses  to  the  divine  person  and  work  of  the 
Son  of  God. 

c.  This  testimony  of  the  inspired  gospel  and  of  the  divine 
Spirit  are  designated  by  John  "the  witness  of  God",  and 
if,  in  human  courts,  concurrent  testimony  of  accredited 
witnesses  is  accepted,  much  more  should  we  be  convinced 
bysuch  divine  attestation  of  the  sonship  of  Christ:  "If  we 
receive  the  witness  of  men,  the  witness  of  God  is  greater." 
However  John  adds  a  third  ground  of  belief,  namely. 
Christian  experience:  "He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  of 
God  hath  the  witness  in  him."  Faith  may  be  regarded  by 
some  as  a  great  venture:  but  one  who  casts  himself  wholly 
upon  Christ,  one  who  not  only  believes  statements  about 
him,  but  who  believes  "on"  him,  comes  to  possess  a  direct 
and  deepening  consciousness  that  the  object  of  his  trust 
is  none  other  than  a  divine  Saviour.  He  has  a  sense  of 
cleansing  and  pardon,  of  acceptance  with  God,  of  peace  and 


I  John  5:  6-12       GROUNDS  OF  BELIEF  149 

power  and  victory,  and  this  experimental  knowledge  of 
Christ  confirms  the  belief  that  he  is  indeed  "the  Son  of 
God." 

With  the  trust,  which  becomes  a  deepening  conviction, 
in  the  deity  of  Christ,  John  contrasts  the  unbelief  which 
rejects  the  testimony  to  his  divine  sonship.  Such  unbe- 
lief makes  God  a  liar.  To  reject  the  inspired  gospel,  to 
resist  the  Spirit  of  truth,  is  to  accuse  God  of  falsehood, 
to  suspect  him  of  deceit:  "He  that  believeth  not  God  hath 
hath  made  him  a  liar;  because  he  hath  not  believed  in 
the  witness  that  God  hath  borne  concerning  his  Son." 

This,  then,  is  the  very  sum  and  essence  of  the  divine 
testimony,  namely,  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God,  and 
it  is,  therefore,  the  full  and  perfect  manifestation  of  eternal 
life,  so  that,  in  giving  us  his  Son,  God  really  imparted  to 
us  this  life:  "And  the  witness  is  this,  that  God  gave  unto 
us  eternal  life,  and  this  life  is  in  his  Son."  Belief  in  Jesus 
Christ  as  the  Son  of  God  is  a  proof  that  one  possesses  this 
life,  it  is  the  sign  that  he  has  experienced  a  new  birth,  it 
is  a  witness  that  he  is  a  child  of  God:  "He  that  hath  the 
Son  hath  the  life;  he  that  hath  not  the  Son  of  God  hath 
not  the  life." 


150  FIRST  JOHN  I  John  5: 13-21 


7.  Christian  Certainties.     Ch.  5  :  13-21 

13  These  things  have  I  written  unto  you,  that  ye  may  know 
that  ye  have  eternal  life,  even  unto  you  that  believe  on  the 
name  of  the  Son  of  God.  14  And  this  is  the  boldness  which 
we  have  toward  him,  that,  if  we  ask  anything  according  to 
his  will,  he  heareth  us:  15  and  if  we  know  that  he  heareth  us 
whatsoever  we  ask,  we  know  that  we  have  the  petitions  which 
we  have  asked  of  him.  16  If  any  man  see  his  brother  sinning 
a  sin  not  unto  death,  he  shall  ask,  and  God  will  give  him  life 
for  them  that  sin  not  unto  death.  There  is  a  sin  unto  death : 
not  concerning  this  do  I  say  that  he  should  make  request. 
17  All  unrighteousness  is  sin:  and  there  is  a  sin  not  unto  death, 

18  We  know  that  whosoever  is  begotten  of  God  sinneth 
not;  but  he  that  was  begotten  of  God  keepeth  himself,  and 
the  evil  one  toucheth  him  not.  19  We  know  that  we  are  of 
God,  and  the  whole  world  lieth  in  the  evil  one.  20  And  we 
know  that  the  Son  of  God  is  come,  and  hath  given  us  an  under- 
standing, that  we  know  him  that  is  true,  and  we  are  in  him 
that  is  true,  even  in  his  Son  Jesus  Christ.  This  is  the  true 
God,  and  eternal  life.  21  Afy  little  children,  guard  yourselves 
from  idols. 

Christianity  is  a  religion  of  certainties,  of  assured  con- 
victions, of  definite  beliefs.  Thus,  as  John  brings  his 
Epistle  to  a  close,  he  mentions  some  of  those  realities  as 
to  which  believers  have  confident  assurance. 

The  first  of  these  is  the  possession  of  eternal  life:  "These 
things  have  I  written  unto  you,  that  ye  may  know  that 
ye  have  eternal  life,  even  unto  you  that  believe  on  the  name 
of  the  Son  of  God."  The  immediate  reference  is  to  the 
verses  which  precede;  but  the  statement  is  properly 
taken  as  expressing  the  supreme  purpose  of  the  whole 
epistle.  It  has  furnished  a  series  of  tests  by  which  one 
could  be  assured  that  he  possessed  eternal  life.  The  assur- 
ance is  not  mystical  or  emotional,  but  a  rational  conclusion 
based  upon  certain  plain  facts.  These  are  chiefly  right- 
eousness, love,  and  belief.  The  last  of  these  has  just  been 
emphasized,  and  therefore  the  apostle  adds,  "Even  unto 


I  John  5:  13-21  CERTAINTIES  151 

you  that  believe  on  the  name  of  the  Son  of  God."  Those 
who  believe  are  assured  that,  for  them,  "eternal  life"  is  a 
present  possession.  This  term  includes  the  idea  of  future, 
immortal  blessedness;  but  the  element  of  duration  is  less 
prominent  than  that  of  moral  character.  "Eternal  life" 
is  the  very  life  of  God,  the  life  manifested  in  Christ,  and 
therefore,  in  believers,  a  life  like  that  of  Christ.  It  is 
given  now,  in  its  beginning,  by  the  imparting  of  a  new  life 
principle;  but  it  expands  and  develops  until  when  he 
"shall  be  manifested,"  then,  in  fuller  perfection, "we  shall 
be  like  him ;  for  we  shall  see  him  even  as  he  is." 

Closely  related  to  this  assurance  of  life  is  confidence  in 
prayer:  "And  this  is  the  boldness  which  we  have  toward 
him,  that,  if  we  ask  anything  according  to  his  will,  he 
heareth  us:  and  if  we  know  that  he  heareth  us  whatsoever 
we  ask,  we  know  that  we  have  the  petitions  which  we  have 
asked  of  him."  Prayer,  therefore,  is  no  mere  empty  form, 
it  is  not  an  impertinence,  it  is  not  irrational.  It  is  a  power 
whereby  the  will  of  God  is  brought  to  pass.  It  is  humble 
and  trustful  in  spirit.  Its  highest  expression  is  in  the 
words:  "Not  my  will,  but  thine,  be  done."  When  the 
request  is  according  to  the  will  of  God,  "we  have  the  peti- 
tion" even  now,  for  it  already  exists  in  the  divine  purpose 
and  plan,  and  is  certain  to  be  realized  in  time.  Whatever 
mysteries  and  perplexities  may  be  involved  in  the  problem 
of  prayer,  the  child  of  God  comes  with  boldness  to  make  his 
requests  known  unto  the  Father. 

One  special  exercise  of  the  blessed  ministry  of  inter- 
cession is  mentioned  by  John:  it  is  prayer  for  the  spiritual 
restoration  of  a  brother  who  has  fallen  into  sin.  But  here 
an  exception  is  made:  a  believer  is  not  encouraged  to  pray 
with  confidence  for  the  deliverance  of  one  who  is  guilty  of 
"sin  .  .  .  unto  death."  The  reference  seems  to  be  to 
those  whom  John  has  called  antichrists,  those  who  willfully 
and  persistently  deny  the  claims  of  Christ,  who  turn  away 
from  him  and  from  the  Christian  communion,  and  pro- 
fessedly deny  "the  Father  and  the  Son."  The  passage 
may  be  difficult  but  its  main  purpose  is  plain,  namely, 
to  encourage  us  to  fearless  and  sympathizing  prayer  for 
every  believer  who  has  been  overtaken  by  a  fault. 


152  FIRST  JOHN  I  John  5:  13-21 

John  next  mentions  three  great  verities  which  are 
included  in  Christian  belief;  they  are  named  almost  as 
the  articles  of  a  creed,  each  introduced  by  the  confident 
phrase:  "We  know."  (a)  The  reality,  the  possibility, 
the  absolute  necessity  of  righteousness,  is  set  forth.  "We 
know  that  whosoever  is  begotten  of  God  sinneth  not." 
Thus  John  rebukes  the  Christian  who  is  careless  of  con- 
duct, and  the  cynic  who  sneers  at  virtue.  However,  he 
also  warns  the  believer  that  he  is  fighting  a  sleepless  foe, 
and  that  victory  can  be  secured  only  by  ceaseless  effort; 
but  it  can  be  secured:  "he  that  was  begotten  of  God  keep- 
eth  himself,  and  the  evil  one  toucheth  him  not." 

(b)  The  reality  of  the  "new  birth"  is  next  declared: 
"We  know  that  we  are  of  God,  and  the  whole  world  lieth 
in  the  evil  one."  The  believer  does  possess  a  life  which 
God  himself  has  imparted ;  it  may  be  undeveloped,  but  it 
consists  in  a  principle  and  germ  which  forever  separate 
and  distinguish  him  from  the  whole  unbelieving  world 
that  lies  in  the  power  of  the  Evil  One. 

(c)  "We  know  that  the  Son  of  God  is  come."  We 
believe  in  the  divine  mission  of  Jesus  Christ.  If  life  has 
been  imparted,  if  righteousness  is  possible,  it  is  because 
we  have  come  to  know  God,  and  to  enjoy  fellowship  with 
God  as  he  has  been  revealed  to  us  "in  his  Son  Jesus  Christ." 

Finally  John  makes  a  comprehensive  af^rmation  and 
adds  an  affectionate  word  of  warning:  "This  is  the  true 
God,"  this  God  whom  Christ  has  revealed,  and  he  is 
"eternal  life,"  its  Source,  its  Sustainer,  and  its  Perfecter. 
It  is  his  gift. 

Therefore,  "little  children,  guard  yourselves  from  idols," 
from  all  the  vain  conceptions  of  God  held  among  men,  from 
all  human  substitutes  for  God,  from  all  that  might  turn 
you  from  God;  for  he  is  perfectly  manifested  in  Jesus 
Christ,  his  Son. 


SECOND  EPISTLE  OF  JOHN  153 


THE   SECOND   EPISTLE   OF 
JOHN 

Hospitality  is  variously  regarded  as  a  "fine  art,"  a 
joyous  privilege,  an  unwelcome  necessity,  or  an  oppor- 
tunity for  display.  New  Testament  writers  emphasize  its 
importance  as  a  Christian  grace,  and  as  a  species  of 
evangelistic  service.  It  forms  the  subject  of  two  inspired 
letters,  the  Second  Epistle  and  the  Third  Epistle  of  John. 
These  are,  it  is  true,  very  short  letters,  and  they  do  con- 
tain other  messages;  but  the  supreme  purpose  of  II  John 
is  to  caution  Christians  against  extending  hospitality  to 
certain  enemies  of  the  Church,  while  III  John  was  written 
to  commend  a  Christian  for  his  generous  hospitality  to 
representatives  of  the  apostle  who  were  traveling  evangel- 
ists. 

It  is  easy  to  understand  why,  in  the  days  of  the  early 
Church,  this  was  a  matter  of  such  deep  concern.  The 
proper  use  of  hospitality  conditioned  the  spread  of  the 
gospel.  This  was  an  age  of  travel.  Christians  were  mov- 
ing about  continually,  over  the  superb  Roman  roads,  either 
on  private  business  or  as  missionary  workers.  Places  of 
entertainment,  however,  were  difficult  to  find.  The  hotel 
is  a  comparatively  modern  institution.  Ancient  inns  were 
not  usually  of  good  repute.  Frequently  these  travelers 
were  poor;  in  any  event,  they  hesitated  to  place  themselves 
under  obligations  to  unbelievers.  It  was  necessary,  there- 
fore, that  Christians  should  open  their  homes  and  wel- 
come as  guests  many  strangers,  especially  such  as  came 
to  them  bearing  the  adored  "Name."  It  is  evident  that 
such  hospitality  was  a  direct  and  potent  means  of  further- 
ing the  gospel  and  of  extending  the  influence  of  the  Church. 
It  is  also  evident  that  this  hospitality  was  open  to  abuse, 
not  only  by  improvident  and  unworthy  travelers,  but 
particularly  by  false  teachers  who,  under  the  guise  of  a 
Christian  profession,  concealed  their  real  opposition  to  the 
Christian  faith,  and  endeavored  to  corrupt  and  pervert 


154  SECOND  EPISTLE  OF  JOHN 

the  doctrines  taught  by  the  apostles.  As  a  warning  against 
such  heretical  teachers  and  against  such  an  abuse  of  hos- 
pitality this  letter  was  written. 

It  was  penned,  however,  in  no  spirit  of  narrowness  or 
harshness  or  bigotry.  Its  characteristic  word  is  "love"; 
it  breathes  the  broadest  charity;  and  it  reiterates  that 
"old  commandment"  which  Christ  has  made  new:  "that 
we  love  one  another."  Still,  there  is  a  second  word  which 
is  hardly  less  prominent  and  no  less  vital:  it  is  the  word 
"truth."  Love  must  not  be  allowed  to  lapse  into  senti- 
mental softness  and  weak  indifference,  particularly  when 
truth  is  at  stake.  False  teachers  are  not  to  be  counte- 
nanced and  courted  and  publicly  entertained. 

The  particular  form  of  error  propagated  by  those  to 
whom  the  writer  refers,  relates  to  the  person  of  Christ. 
It  denies  that  he  was  truly  God  and  truly  man,  in  the 
mystery  of  his  unique  being.  One  who  held  such  perverted 
and  "advanced"  doctrine  is  declared  by  John  to  be  "the 
deceiver  and  the  antichrist."  Such  a  public  and  profes- 
sional teacher  of  error  was  not  to  be  received  into  a  Chris- 
tian home.  He  was  to  be  given  no  greeting,  lest,  by 
courtesy  and  hospitality,  support  might  be  afforded  to 
his  evil  cause.  Such  is  the  burden  of  this  brief  epistle; 
and  it  closes  with  the  expressed  hope  that  at  no  distant 
date  the  writer  may  himself  be  welcomed  by  those  Chris- 
tian friends  to  whom  the  letter  is  being  sent. 

The  outline  of  the  epistle  is  as  follows: 

1.  The  Salutation.     II  John  1-3. 

2.  The  Counsel  and  Warning.     Vs.  4-11. 

3.  The  Conclusion.     Vs.  12,  13. 

a.  The  Promised  Visit.     V.  12. 

b,  The  Closing  Greeting,    V,  13. 


II  John  1-3  THE  SALUTATION  155 


1.  The  Salutation.     II  John  1-3 

1  The  elder  unto  the  elect  lady  and  her  children,  whom  I 
love  in  truth ;  and  not  I  only,  but  also  all  they  that  know  the 
truth ;  2  for  the  truth's  sake  which  abideth  in  us,  and  it  shall 
be  with  us  for  ever:  3  Grace,  mercy,  peace  shall  be  with  us, 
from  God  the  Father,  and  from  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  the 
Father,  in  truth  and  love. 

It  seems  certain  that  this  charming  little  letter  comes  to 
us  from  the  hand  of  John,  "the  disciple  whom  Jesus 
loved."  In  his  First  Epistle  he  has  embodied  substantially 
eight  of  these  thirteen  verses,  while  the  style  and  the  sub- 
ject matter  are  evidently  his  own.  He  calls  himself 
simply  "the  elder,"  which  indicates  marked  humility  in 
one  who  was  the  most  eminent  member  of  the  Christian 
Church,  one  who  might  have  styled  himself,  at  least, 
"the  apostle."  This  modest  title,  however,  may  carry 
with  it  the  suggestion  of  age,  for  the  writer  has  outlived 
all  his  fellow  apostles,  and  his  words  are  weighty  with  the 
experiences  of  years;  and,  further,  the  word  "elder" 
designated  a  high  ofhce  in  the  Christian  communion  and 
was  claimed  by  Peter  as  a  mark  of  distinction.  It  may 
thus  be  concluded  that  John  writes  with  the  authority 
of  age,  of  official  position,  and  of  a  personal  knowledge  of 
Christ. 

"The  elect  lady,"  to  whom  the  letter  is  addressed  may 
have  been,  as  most  modern  scholars  suppose,  not  an  in- 
dividual but  a  church,  not  a  person  but  a  Christian  society. 
This  conjecture,  however,  cannot  be  definitely  established. 
Moreover,  the  obvious  meaning  of  Scripture  is  usually 
the  correct  meaning  and  there  is  nothing  in  the  simple 
content  of  the  letter  actually  to  discredit  the  popular 
view  that  the  phrase  denotes  some  Christian  woman  of 
distinguishing  gifts  and  graces.  "Her  children"  are 
united  with  her  in  the  salutation,  so  that,  in  either  case, 
it  is  evident  that  in  this  epistle  more  persons  than  one  are 
addressed.     Nor  is   the  question  of  supreme  importance 


156  Second  john  ii  John  1-3 

for  it  becomes  evident  that  a  message  is  herein  contained 
which  is  applicable  to  all  Christians  and  to  all  churches. 

For  this  household  or  Christian  society  John  expresses 
his  true  affection,  which  he  declares  is  felt  also  by  all  who 
hold  the  truth,  as  it  springs  from  a  common  faith.  It  is 
indeed  this  united  acceptance  of  Christian  verities  which 
ever  forms  the  firm  basis  of  abiding  friendships.  Such 
friendships  will  endure;  for  this  fellowship  with  the  truth 
is  imperishable:   "it  shall  be  with  us  for  ever." 

The  three  terms  which  form  the  substance  of  the  greet- 
ing, "grace,  mercy,  peace,"  appear  in  the  opening  formula 
of  other  epistles,  and  because  of  their  familiarity  are  in 
danger  of  losing  their  deep  significance.  They  include 
all  the  blessings  known  to  believers,  from  their  source  in 
the  "unmerited  favor"  of  God,  to  their  ultimate  issue  in 
the  peace  "which  passe th  all  understanding."  Here  the 
enjoyment  of  these  blessings  is  not,  as  usual,  the  substance 
of  a  prayer,  but  of  a  prediction:  "shall  be  with  us";  it  is 
ascribed  to  the  Father  but  also  to  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  here 
designated  as  "the  Son  of  the  Father";  it  is  conditioned 
upon  a  right  state  of  mind  and  heart,  "in  truth  and  love"; 
for  the  experience  is  only  for  those  who  accept  Christ  as 
the  divine  Son  of  God,  and  walk  in  love  toward  him  and 
toward  their  fellow  men.  Thus  "truth  and  love,"  which 
do  not  commonly  occur  in  opening  salutations,  are  the  dis- 
tinguishing words  in  this  greeting;  and  significantly  so, 
for  they  are  the  essential  words  of  the  epistle  which  follows. 


II  John  4-11     COUNSEL  AND  WARNING  157 


2.  The  Counsel  and  Warning.     Vs.  4-11 

4  I  rejoice  greatly  that  I  have  found  certain  of  thy  children 
walking  in  truth,  even  as  we  received  commandment  from  the 
Father.  5  And  now  I  beseech  thee,  lady,  not  as  though  I 
wrote  to  thee  a  new  commandment,  but  that  which  we  had 
from  the  beginning,  that  we  love  one  another.  6  And  this 
is  love,  that  we  should  walk  after  his  commandments.  This 
is  the  commandment,  even  as  ye  heard  from  the  beginning, 
that  ye  should  walk  in  it.  7  For  many  deceivers  are  gone 
forth  into  the  world,  even  they  that  confess  not  that  Jesus 
Christ  Cometh  in  the  flesh.  This  is  the  deceiver  and  the 
antichrist.  8  Look  to  yourselves,  that  ye  lose  not  the  things 
which  we  have  wrought,  but  that  ye  receive  a  full  reward.  9 
Whosoever  goeth  onward  and  abideth  not  in  the  teaching  of 
Christ,  hath  not  God:  he  that  abideth  in  the  teaching,  the 
same  hath  both  the  Father  and  the  Son.  10  If  any  one  cometh 
unto  you,  and  bringeth  not  this  teaching,  receive  him  not 
into  your  house,  and  give  him  no  greeting:  11  for  he  that 
giveth  him  greeting  partaketh  in  his  evil  works. 

The  letter  opens,  like  many  of  Paul's  epistles,  with  an 
expression  of  joy  in  the  consistent  life  of  Christian  believers. 
The  writer  has  found  certain  men  in  the  Church,  certain 
"children"  of  "the  elect  lady"  to  whom  the  letter  is  writ- 
ten, "walking  in  truth,"  that  is  to  say,  "actually",  or 
"really,"  as  God  has  commanded.  Surely  no  pastor  has  a 
more  exalted  cause  for  rejoicing  than  to  find  such  true  life 
manifested  by  the  members  of  his  flock. 

To  encourage  such  living  on  the  part  of  his  readers,  John 
exhorts  them  to  Christian  love,  which,  in  one  sense,  is  not 
"a  new  commandment,"  for  it  was  strikingly  set  forth  in 
the  law  of  Moses;  yet,  in  another  sense  it  is  "new,"  for 
Christ  has  given  a  new  standard  and  a  new  example  and 
a  new  motive  to  love.  John  further  reminds  us  that  the 
real  exercise  of  love  will  result  in  keeping  all  the  com- 
mandments of  God:  "And  this  is  love,  that  we  should 
walk  after  his  commandments."  Love  is  ever  the  ful- 
filling of  the  law.     Obedience  finds  its  motive  in  love, 


158  SECOND  JOHN  II  John  4-11 

obedience  is  the  fruit  of  love.  "That  3^e  should  walk  in 
it"  has  ever  been  the  commandment  for  all  Christians. 
Right  living  is  certain  to  result  from  love. 

John  has  been  led  thus  to  encourage  the  exercise  of  love, 
because  love  so  realized  in  life  will  be  a  safeguard  against 
error.  It  will  not  prevent  one  from  opposing  error. 
Christian  love  should  not  make  one  indifferent  to  Chris- 
tian truth,  for  if  this  truth  Is  lost,  love  will  lack  its  motive 
and  its  form.  Thus  John  comes  to  the  very  heart  of  his 
message  In  the  warning  against  the  false  teachers,  many  in 
number,  who  are  endangering  the  faith  and  so  the  life  of 
believers. 

They  were  once  nominal  members  of  the  Church  but 
have  "gone  forth  Into  the  world";  In  every  age  the  most 
dangerous  of  all  delusions  and  denials  of  truth  have  come 
from  those  who  have  been  acquainted  with  Christianity, 
who  have  claimed  to  hold  many  of  Its  doctrines,  who 
have  cloaked  themselves  under  its  name,  who  have  used  its 
phrases,  who  even  have  followed  Its  forms. 

These  false  teachers  are  called  "deceivers,"  for  they  lead 
to  false  living  as  well  as  to  false  views  of  truth.  Belief  and 
life  are  inseparable.  Faith  always  manifests  itself  In 
works.  Corrupt  doctrine  inevitably  results  in  corrupt 
morals.  The  vital  error  of  these  "deceivers"  related  to 
the  person  of  Christ.  They  denied  that  he  is  at  once 
truly  man  and  truly  God.  They  were  the  first  in  the  long 
line  of  heretics  who,  under  various  names,  have  refused 
to  accept  this  cardinal  truth  of  Christianity.  There  is 
something  very  striking  in  the  phrase  used  by  John: 
"They  confess  not  that  Jesus  Christ  cometh  In  the  flesh." 
The  divine  humanity  ever  continues  and  will  again  be 
manifest:  but  were  Christ  only  a  man,  then  his  claims  were 
untrue,  his  death  also  would  have  no  saving  power.  No- 
thing could  be  more  fatal  than  to  deny  either  his  true 
humanity  or  his  essential  deity. 

Such  teachers  John  condemns  In  unsparing  terms.  One 
who  advocates  their  errors  Is  declared  to  be  not  only  a 
deceiver  of  men,  but  also  an  enemy  of  Christ.  He  is 
animated  by  the  spirit  of  that  last  great  deceiver  of  man- 
kind, that  "man  of  sin,"  that  "antichrist,"  who  will  yet 


II  John  4-11     COUNSEL  AND  WARNING  159 

appear  to  oppose  himself  to  God,  and  to  be  destroyed  by 
the  personal  appearing  of  the  returning,  divine,  victorious 
Christ.  Because  of  the  presence  and  the  perilous  influence 
of  such  false  teachers,  Christians  need  to  be  on  their  guard 
lest  they  lose  the  faith  and  the  hope  and  the  love  which 
have  come  to  them  through  the  labors  of  true  teachers; 
they  need  to  watch  and  to  persevere  that,  when  Christ 
appears,  they  may  receive  for  their  steadfastness  a  full  and 
complete  reward. 

Such  watchfulness  Is  the  more  necessary  because  these 
teachers  make  proud  claims  of  being  "advanced"  and 
"progressive"  and  "leaders  of  new  thought";  whereas,  in 
fact,  those  who  deny  the  teachings  of  Christ  about  his 
person  and  his  saving  work  have  fallen  back  into  darkness, 
and  have  lost  nothing  less  than  God  himself,  for  one  cannot 
know  God  or  live  in  a  vital  relation  to  him  or  enjoy 
conscious  fellowship  with  him,  in  case  he  rejects  the 
revelation  which  God  has  made  of  himself  in  Christ.  It 
is  far  better  to  seem  "behind  the  times"  than  to  be  without 
the  truth.  True  progress  consists  in  retaining  the  realities 
which  the  past  has  assured,  and  in  growing  in  the  knowl- 
edge of  Christ.  His  teachings  cannot  be  contradicted  or 
abandoned  as  out  of  date.  They  may  be  explored  and 
explained  and  applied,  but  they  set  limits  of  revealed 
truth  which  no  one  may  disregard :  "He  that  abideth  in  the 
teaching,  the  same  hath  both  the  Father  and  the  Son." 

These  false  teachers  are  the  more  dangerous  because 
they  often  move  in  the  best  circles  of  society,  and  are  of 
pleasing  personality,  and  claim  the  name  of  "Christian." 
Their  presence  at  public  gatherings,  their  participation  in 
social  and  civic  movements,  raise  questions  of  extreme 
difficulty  and  delicacy.  The  advice  of  John  is  uncompro- 
mising; "Ifany  one  Cometh  unto  you,  and  bringeth  not  this 
teaching,  receive  him  not  into  your  house,  and  give  him  no 
greeting:  for  he  that  giveth  him  greeting  partaketh  in  his 
evil  works,"  We  should  note  at  once,  however,  that  the 
reference  here  is  to  teachers  who  claimed  to  be  official  and 
authoritative,  and  to  such  treatment  of  them  as  plainly 
would  indicate  sympathy  with  their  errors  and  support  of 
their  professed  efforts  to  overthrow  fundamental  truth. 


160  SECOND   JOHN  II  John  4-11 

John  does  not  forbid  ordinary  courtesy,  he  aoes  not  encour- 
age impoliteness  or  churlishness  or  unkindness  or  cruelty. 
It  must  be  remembered  that  the  provision  of  hospitality 
was,  in  the  days  of  the  early  Church,  a  definite  means  of 
furthering  the  gospel ;  but  it  might  quite  as  easily  be  used 
to  help  in  the  spread  of  error.  It  is  against  such  a  wrong 
use  of  hospitality  that  John  here  protests.  He  means  that 
professional,  recognized  teachers  of  heresy  are  not  to  be 
aided  in  their  efforts,  are  not  to  be  recognized  as  entitled 
to  support,  are  not  to  be  so  welcomed  and  greeted  as  to  be 
encouraged  in  their  work.  Truth  is  not  to  be  sacrificed 
even  in  the  name  of  love. 


II  John  12,  13         THE  CONCLUSION  161 


3.  The  Conclusion.    Vs.  12,  13 

12  Having  many  things  to  write  unto  you,  I  would  not 
write  them  with  paper  and  ink:  but  I  hope  to  come  unto 
you,  and  to  speak  face  to  face,  that  your  joy  may  be  made 
full.     13  The  children  of  thine  elect  sister  salute  thee. 

John  has  given  his  counsel  of  Christian  love,  he  has 
sounded  his  warning  against  compromising  essential 
truth;  he  now  adds  that  there  are  many  other  matters, 
of  real  importance  to  his  readers,  which  he  would  gladly 
communicate;  however,  he  finds  writing  with  paper  and 
ink  to  be  unsatisfactory,  and  he  is  consoled  with  the  expec- 
tation of  an  approaching  visit  when  he  can  speak  with  his 
friends  ''face  to  face" ;  he  is  certain  that  they  will  share  in 
his  joy  at  such  a  meeting. 

Possibly  it  is  reassuring  to  Christians  of  the  present  day 
to  remember  that  they  have  apostolic  sympathy  in  their 
dissatisfaction  with  pen  and  ink  as  means  of  communicat- 
ing with  those  they  love.  Surely  there  is  much  that  is 
more  satisfying  in  speaking  "face  to  face,"  or  as  we  should 
say,  "heart  to  heart."  However,  even  a  letter  is  prefer- 
able to  complete  isolation,  and  surely  the  world  would  be 
much  poorer  had  the  aged  apostle  refrained  from  sending 
to  his  friends  this  epistle  which  tells  us  that  we  are  to  walk 
in  love  and  to  abide  in  the  truth,  if  we  are  to  enjoy  grace 
and  mercy  and  peace  "from  God  the  Father,  and  from 
Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  Father."  The  final  saluta- 
tion is  from  the  members  of  a  household  or  church  related 
to  those  to  whom  the  epistle  has  been  penned,  and  it  adds 
another  touch  to  the  assurance  of  fellowship  which  all 
enjoy  who  are  united  in  their  acceptance  of  Christian 
truth. 


162  THIRD  EPISTLE  OF  JOHN 


THE   THIRD   EPISTLE   OF 
JOHN 

This  precious  little  fragment  of  the  past  may  well 
engage  our  thoughtful  review,  for  it  contains  pen  portraits 
from  the  Apostolic  Age  which  the  passing  of  centuries  has 
not  dimmed,  which  reflect  the  life  of  the  early  Church, 
and  which  bring  to  Christians  of  every  age  and  land  mes- 
sages of  encouragement  and  warning  and  cheer. 

The  first  of  the  portraits  is  that  of  Gaius,  apparently  a 
wealthy  householder,  whose  Christian  faith  has  been  shown 
by  his  generoisity  toward  his  Christian  friends  and  particu- 
larly by  the  hospitality  he  has  shown  to  certain  traveling 
evangelists  or  preachers.  These  brethren  were  strangers 
to  him;  but  "for  the  sake  of  the  Name"  he  has  received 
them  into  his  own  home,  and  this,  too,  in  spite  of  evident 
opposition  from  a  prominent  member  of  the  Church  who 
attempted  to  prevent  this  exercise  of  Christian  courtesy. 
To  him  the  aged  Apostle  John  writes  this  letter,  to  com- 
mend him  for  his  gracious  hospitality  and  to  encourage 
him  to  speed  these  visiting  messengers  on  their  journey, 
and  that,  too,  in  a  manner  "worthily  of  God,"  and  worthily 
of  their  sacrifice  and  worthily  of  their  high  service.  The 
picture  of  Gaius  is  thus  that  of  a  consistent,  spiritual, 
charitable  believer,  who  by  the  grace  of  hospitality  is 
strengthening  the  Church  and  furthering  the  gospel  of 
Christ. 

The  second  portrait  is  that  of  Diotrephes,  a  man  whose 
pride  of  place  and  pride  of  intellect  threaten  to  wreck  the 
peace  and  prosperity  of  the  Christian  communion.  In 
his  presumptuous  self-confidence,  he  has  opposed  the  teach- 
ing and  the  authority  of  the  aged  and  revered  apostle. 
He  has  given  no  heed  to  the  message  of  John,  he  has  at- 
tacked him  maliciously  "with  wicked  words,"  he  has  re- 
fused hospitality  to  his  messengers,  and  has  attempted  to 
exclude  from  the  Church  those  who  were  to  receive  these 
messengers  into  their  homes.     It  is  a  pitiful  picture  of 


THIRD  EPISTLE  OF  JOHN  163 

overweening  ambition,  of  conceit,  of  arrogance,  of  tyranny, 
and  of  the  love  and  abuse  of  power. 

There  is  a  third  sketch.  It  is  of  one,  Demetrius,  who 
appears  to  be  the  bearer  of  the  letter,  a  man  held  in  uni- 
versal esteem  by  his  fellow  Christians,  whose  life  accords 
with  his  profession,  who  has  the  special  commendation  of 
the  inspired  Apostle  John. 

Underneath  these  last  two  pictures  John  writes  a  signifi- 
cant motto:  "Beloved,  imitate  not  that  which  is  evil,  but 
that  which  Is  good." 

Such  are  the  three  pen  portraits  contained  In  this  little 
letter;  but  In  sketching  them  the  writer  has  drawn  uncon- 
sciously a  picture  of  himself.  We  see  him  bending  under 
the  weight  of  3^ears,  burdened  with  the  care  of  the  churches, 
sustained  by  love  for  Christ  and  his  cause,  comforted  by 
the  sympathy  and  devotion  of  faithful  friends,  zealous  for 
the  spread  of  the  gospel,  boldly  rebuking  error  and  ready 
to  discipline  offenders,  but  tender  In  his  affections  and 
confident  in  the  triumph  of  truth. 

No  less  striking  Is  the  picture  of  the  early  Church  which 
the  epistle  portrays.  It  appears  as  a  household  of  breth- 
ren, united  by  bonds  of  Christian  love,  separated  from  the 
unbelieving  world,  extending  Its  Influence  by  unselfish 
service  and  by  gracious  hospitality,  not  free,  however, 
from  the  perils  of  ambition  and  jealousy  and  faction  among 
its  members,  but  guarded  and  guided  by  men  of  apostolic 
gifts  and  graces,  strong  in  love,  rejoicing  in  truth,  devoted 
to  Christ. 

The  letter  might  be  outlined  as  follows ; 

1.  The  Salutation  and  the  Writer's  Joy.     Ill  John  1-4. 

2.  The  Praise  of  Gains.     Vs.  5-8. 

3.  The  Condemnation  of  Diotrephes.     Vs.  9,  10. 

4.  The  Commendation  of  Demetrius.     Vs.  11,  12. 

5.  The  Conclusion.     Vs.  13,  14. 

a.  The  Promised  Visit. 
h.  Greetings. 


164  THIRD  JOHN  HI  John  1-4 


1.  The  Salutation  and  the  Writer's  Joy. 
Ill  John  1-4 

1  The  elder  unto  Gaius  the  beloved,  whom  I  love  in  truth. 

2  Beloved,  I  pray  that  in  all  things  thou  mayest  prosper 
and  be  in  health,  even  as  thy  soul  prospereth.  3  For  I  re- 
joiced greatly,  when  brethren  came  and  bare  witness  unto 
thy  trutii,  even  as  thou  walkest  in  truth.  4  Greater  joy  have 
I  none  than  this,  to  hear  of  my  children  walking  in  the  truth. 

The  aged  Apostle  John,  long  a  prisoner  on  Patmos,  now 
laboring  in  Ephesus  and  burdened  with  the  care  of  the 
churches  of  Asia,  had  much  to  cause  him  anxiety,  sorrow, 
and  disappointment;  he  was  sustained,  however,  by  his 
invincible  faith  in  Christ,  he  was  comforted  by  close  human 
friendships,  and  most  of  all  was  he  cheered  by  learning  of 
the  loyal  and  consistent  lives  of  those  who,  as  a  result  of 
his  ministry,  had  been  turned  from  paganism  to  become 
fruitful  and  helpful  servants  of  the  Lord.  Among  the 
latter  was  Gaius,  to  whom  this  letter  was  addressed.  The 
name  is  familiar,  and  appears  in  three  other  New  Testa- 
ment passages;  but  it  is  unnecessary,  if  not  impossible,  to 
identify  this  Gaius  with  any  one  of  the  Christian  disciples 
who  bore  the  same  name.  Probably  all  that  can  be  learned 
of  him  is  contained  in  the  few  verses  which  follow.  He 
seems  to  have  been  a  man  of  considerable  wealth,  prominent 
in  the  church  to  which  he  belonged,  faithful  to  his  Christian 
profession,  and  specially  to  be  commended  for  the  hospi- 
tality he  had  shown  to  traveling  evangelists  who  repre- 
sented John  and  the  Church. 

The  "salutation"  addressed  to  him  is  unusually  brief; 
but  John,  who  styles  himself  "the  elder,"  calls  Gaius  "the 
beloved,"  and  declares  that  he  loves  him  "in  truth." 
Even  so  brief  a  greeting  thus  contains  the  two  words 
which  characterize  the  Second  and  the  Third,  Epistle  of 
John,  namely,  "truth"  and  "love."  The  accent  upon 
these  words  differs  slightly  in  the  two  letters,  but  by  them 
the  letters  are  molded  and  united.     In  the  second  letter, 


Ill  John  1-4  WRITER'S  JOY  165 

while  love  is  enjoined,  there  is  warning  against  a  weak 
tolerance  of  those  who  denied  the  truth;  in  this  Third 
Epistle,  love  is  praised  for  its  exercise  toward  those  who 
proclaimed  the  truth.  The  Second  Epistle  condemns  the 
departure  from  the  truth  which  is  known  as  "heresy"; 
the  Third  Epistle  condemns  the  lack  of  love  among  pro- 
fessing Christians  which  results  in  "schism." 

If  the  salutation  is  brief,  its  real  content  is  enlarged  by 
the  prayer  which  immediately  follows  and  w^hich  takes  the 
place  of  the  more  usual  greeting  of  "grace,  mercy,  peace." 
This  prayer  is  quite  extraordinary  in  its  content.  In  the 
opening  of  no  other  New  Testament  epistle  is  there  recorded 
a  petition  for  temporal  blessings  and  for  physical  health: 
"Beloved,  I  pray  that  in  all  things  thou  mayest  prosper 
and  be  in  health."  It  would  appear  that  Gains  had 
been  ill.  What  is  specially  remarkable,  however,  is  the 
measure  of  prosperity  which  John  proposes:  "even  as 
thy  soul  prospereth."  The  prayer  is  that  the  temporal  pros- 
perity^ of  Gains  may  be  as  great  as  his  spiritual  welfare  and 
that  his  body  may  be  as  well  as  his  soul.  Few  of  us  dare 
offer  that  prayer;  by  most  Christians  the  terms  need  to  be 
reversed.  The  proof  of  his  spiritual  prosperity  is  found 
in  the  report  which  has  come  of  the  generosity  shown  by 
Gains.  This  fact  is  also  the  warrant  for  the  prayer: 
Gaius  has  already  made  such  a  wise  use  of  his  temporal 
blessings  that  the  apostle  feels  justified  in  asking  that  his 
resources  may  be  enlarged,  as  he  also  prays  that  his  health 
may  be  improved. 

Such  a  report  of  the  faithful  stewardship  of  Gaius  has 
afforded  to  John  the  greatest  joy.  The  news  has  been 
brought  by  fellow  Christians  who  seem  to  have  come,  not 
once  only,  but  from  time  to  time,  with  the  same  tidings. 
The  substance  of  their  message  is  declared  by  John  to  be 
a  "witness  unto  thy  truth,"  by  which  he  means  that  they 
are  testifying  to  the  fact  that  Gaius  is  showing  his  accept- 
ance of  Christian  truth  by  his  Christian  life,  he  is  mani- 
festing his  faith  by  his  works,  or  as  John  adds,  "even  as 
thou  walkest  in  truth,"  that  is,  consistently,  "truly." 

The  word  "thou"  is  emphatic;  it  implies  a  contrast: 
there  are  others  whose  walk  does  not  correspond  to  their 


166  THIRD  JOHN  HI  John  1-4 

words;  they  are  not  loyal  to  their  profession  of  faith; 
from  their  opposition  both  Gaius  and  John  have  suffered; 
of  these  the  apostle  will  speak  later;  but  he  now  wishes 
to  express  to  Gaius  the  extreme  gratification  which  his 
fidelity  to  the  truth  has  occasioned:  "Greater  joy  have 
I  none  than  this,  to  hear  of  my  children  walking  in  the 
truth."  By  his  "children"  John  of  course  means  those 
believers  who  have  been  brought  into  the  Christian  life 
by  his  influence.  Nothing  gives  him  greater  gladness  than 
to  learn  that  such  are  "walking  in  the  truth."  John 
alone  uses  the  last  phrase  in  the  New  Testament;  but  the 
idea  is  familiar.  It  denotes  living  in  the  sphere  of  revealed 
truth,  allowing  it  to  dominate  and  to  control  the  mind 
and  the  soul,  to  mold  the  character  and  to  determine  all 
choices  and  all  acts.  Surely  no  greater  joy  could  be 
experienced  by  a  Christian  worker  than  to  learn  that  those 
whom  he  has  brought  to  CLrist  are  thus  "walking  in  the 
truth." 


Ill  John  5-8       THE  PRAISE  OF  GAIUS  167 


2.  The  Praise  of  Gaius.    Vs.  5-8 

5  Beloved,  thou  doest  a  faithful  work  in  whatsoever  thou 
doest  toward  them  that  are  brethren  and  strangers  withal; 
6  who  bare  witness  to  thy  love  before  the  church:  whom 
thou  wilt  do  well  to  set  forward  on  their  journey  worthily  of 
God:  7  because  that  for  the  sake  of  the  Name  they  went 
forth,  taking  nothing  of  the  Gentiles.  8  We  therefore  ought 
to  welcome  such,  that  we  may  be  fellow-workers  for  the  truth. 

The  act  which  occasioned  this  letter,  and  which  John 
specially  desires  to  praise,  is  that  of  extending  hospitality 
to  certain  missionaries  who  had  been  sent  from  Ephesus 
to  minister  to  the  church  of  which  Gaius  was  a  member. 
It  is  easily  understood  how  necessary  it  was  for  Christians, 
in  that  age  particularly,  to  exercise  the  grace  of  hospitality, 
and  how  greatly  this  grace  tended  to  further  the  gospel. 
For  two  reasons,  however,  Gaius  was  to  be  specially  com- 
mended: first,  because  the  itinerant  preachers  whom  he 
had  welcomed  to  his  home  were  total  strangers  to  him; 
and,  secondly,  because  his  kindness  made  him  the  object 
of  criticism  and  opposition  and  ill  will  on  the  part  of 
members  of  his  own  church.  His  act  is  therefore  called 
"a  faithful  work,"  both  because  it  was  an  expression  of  his 
sincere  belief,  and  also  because  it  required  steadfastness 
and  courage  in  its  accomplishment.  This  expression  of 
Christian  loyalty  was  one  of  those  which  had  been  reported 
to  John,  and,  as  he  declares,  the  messengers  who  had  been 
so  befriended  "bare  witness  to  thy  love  before  the  church." 
Now  these  same  messengers  are  returning  to  Gaius,  and 
John  makes  bold  to  request  that  Gaius  not  only  shall  enter- 
tain them  but  shall  aid  them  on  their  further  journey  by 
gifts  of  money  and  provisions,  and  that,  too,  in  the  most 
liberal  manner,  or,  as  John  says,  with  a  generosity  "worth- 
ily of  God." 

Two  reasons  are  assigned  for  such  gracious  generosity. 
One  is  the  fact  that  these  messengers  are  representatives 
of  Christ  and  are  going  forth  to  make  Christ  known.    It  is 


168  THIRD  JOHN  HI  John  5-8 

true  that  the  word,  "Christ,"  is  not  mentioned;  it  does  not 
occur  once  in  this  letter.  "They  went  forth,"  John  de- 
clares, "for  the  sake  of  the  Name" ;  but  there  is  no  doubt 
what  name  is  meant:  it  is  "the  name  which  is  above  every 
name,"  in  which  some  day,  every  knee  shall  bow. 

The  second  reason  for  this  kindness  is  the  practice  of 
these  particular  missionaries,  who,  to  avoid  all  appearance 
of  selfishness  and  all  suspicion  of  unworthy  motives  in 
preaching,  refused  to  accept  hospitality  or  remuneration 
from  the  Gentiles  to  whom  they  were  bringing  the  gospel. 

There  is  also  a  third  reason  mentioned  by  John,  as  apply- 
ing not  to  this  particular  case  alone,  or  to  these  special 
missionaries,  but  to  all  Christians  in  every  age:  "We  there- 
fore ought  to  welcome  such,  that  we  may  be  fellow- workers 
for  the  truth."  By  extending  sympathy  and  support  to 
the  ministers  and  messengers  and  missionaries  of  Christ,  we 
are  sharing  in  their  work  of  making  known  the  truth  of 
Christ;  and  as  we  participate  in  their  labor  and  their 
toil  and  their  sacrifice,  so,  too,  we  shall  share  in  their 
rejoicing  and  their  reward.     . 


Ill  John  9,  10  CONDEMNATION  169 


3.  The  Condemnation  of  Diotrephes.    Vs.  9, 10 

9  I  wrote  somewhat  unto  the  church;  but  Diotrephes, 
who  loveth  to  have  the  preeminence  among  them,  receivetii 
us  not.  10  Therefore,  if  I  come,  I  will  bring  to  remembrance 
his  works  which  he  doeth,  prating  against  us  with  wicked 
words :  and  not  content  therewith,  neither  doth  he  himself 
receive  the  brethren,  and  them  that  would  he  forbiddeth  and 
casteth  them  out  of  the  church. 

In  striking  contrast  with  Gaius  stands  Diotrephes; 
and  as  the  former  receives  unstinted  praise,  the  latter  is 
given  an  unqualified  rebuke.  The  very  name  Diotrephes, 
which  has  been  translated  "nursling  of  Zeus"  (the  king 
of  the  gods),  may  indicate  some  boasted  aristocracy  of 
birth  or  social  connection,  and  may  be  related  to  the 
pride  and  vanity  of  this  man  who  so  loved  "to  have  the 
preeminence."  He  was  insolent  toward  John,  whose 
apostolic  authority  he  should  have  respected,  and  over- 
bearing toward  his  fellow^  believers,  for  whose  welfare  he 
had  no  regard.  John  had  written  a  brief  letter  to  the  local 
church  of  which  Diotrephes  was  a  member;  but  the  letter- 
had  been  suppressed  by  him,  or  at  least  its  authority  had 
been  denied  and  its  counsels  had  been  neglected.  This  was 
in  effect  a  rejection  of  the  apostle,  or,  as  John  says,  "Dio- 
trephes .  .  .  receiveth  us  not."  He  had  gone  even  further, 
and  had  made  an  open  attack  upon  the  apostle,  "prating" 
against  him  "with  wicked  words."  These  w^ords  may  have 
been  light  and  reckless,  mere  "bubbles"  as  the  term  de- 
notes; but  they  were  inspired  by  malice  and  they  were 
accompanied  by  deeds  no  less  distressing:  "Neither  doth 
he  himself  receive  the  brethren,  and  them  that  would  he 
forbiddeth  and  casteth  them  out  of  the  church."  The 
"brethren"  thus  cruelly  treated  were  the  actual  represen- 
tatives of  the  apostle,  the  messengers  of  Christ  and  his 
Church,  and  the  influence  of  Diotrephes  was  so  great  as 
thus  to  threaten  the  progress  of  the  gospel.  No  wonder 
that  John  writes  to  commend  Gaius,  who  in  such  a  crisis 


170  THIRD  JOHN  HI  John  9,  10 

has  shown  his  loyalty  to  the  truth  by  extending  hospitality 
to  the  brethren;  and  no  wonder  that  he  here  states  in 
reference  to  Diotrephes,  "If  I  come,  I  will  bring  to  remem- 
brance his  works,"  by  which  he  meant  that  they  would  be 
rebuked  and  punished.  Thus  John  draws  the  picture  of 
one  of  the  first  in  the  long  line  of  men  whose  ambition 
and  greed  of  power  have  imperiled  the  peace  and  progress 
of  the  Christian  Church;  the  pen  may  be  in  the  trembling 
hand  of  an  aged  apostle,  but  its  strokes  are  true  and  the 
sketch  is  vivid.  It  is  just  possible  that  the  apostle  may 
have  recalled  an  earlier  experience  of  his  own  when  with 
his  brother  James  he  had  sought  for  a  place  of  preeminence. 
Surely  some  modern  readers  need  to  be  reminded  that  envy 
and  pride  and  selfish  ambition  are  far  removed  from  the 
spirit  of  him  who  "came  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to 
minister,  and  to  give  his  life  a  ransom  for  many." 


Ill  John  11,  12        COMMENDATION  171 


4.  The  Commendation  of  Demetrius.    Vs.  11,  12 

11  Beloved,  imitate  not  that  which  is  evil,  but  that  which  is 
good.  He  that  doeth  good  is  of  God:  he  that  doeth  evil 
hath  not  seen  God.  12  Demetrius  hath  the  witness  of  all 
men,  and  of  the  truth  itself:  yea,  we  also  bear  witness ;  and 
thou  knowest  that  our  witness  is  true. 

To  counteract  the  influence  of  DIbtrephes  which  is 
imperiling  the  belief  and  order  of  the  Church,  John  is 
sending  a  messenger,  by  the  name  of  Demetrius.  He  is 
the  bearer  of  this  letter,  and  is  strongly  commended  to 
Gaius,  to  whom  the  letter  is  written  and  by  whom  he  is 
to  be  entertained.  This  commendation  is  threefold: 
first,  "Demetrius  hath  the  witness  of  all  men,"  that  is  his 
work  in  the  Church  is  widely  known  and  is  ever^^vhere 
approved;  secondly,  he  has  the  witness  "of  the  truth  it- 
self," that  is,  the  manifestation  in  life  and  word  of  the 
effect  of  accepted  truth,  shows  him  to  be  worthy  of  trust 
and  affection;  thirdly,  the  aged  and  inspired  apostle,  John, 
adds  his  word  of  personal  testimony  to  the  character  of 
this  loyal  and  popular  minister  of  the  early  Church: 
"Yea,  w^e  also  bear  witness;  and  thou  knowest  that  our 
witness  is  true." 

This  commendation  is  introduced  by  a  precept  of  wnde- 
reaching  application,  and  by  a  statement  of  deep  signifi- 
cance: "Beloved,  imitate  not  that  which  is  evil,  but  that 
which  is  good."  Thus  Gaius  is  warned  against  the 
example  and  influence  of  Diotrephes  whose  character  has 
just  been  sketched,  and  is  exhorted  to  emulate  the  zeal 
and  fidelity  of  Demetrius  who  is  now  to  be  introduced. 
However,  John  first  adds  the  characteristic  words:  "He 
that  doeth  good  is  of  God:  he  that  doeth  evil  hath  not 
seen  God."  That  Is  to  say,  one  whose  habit  of  life  Is 
right,  one  who  practices  what  is  good,  shows  that  he  has 
been  "born  of  God";  but  one  whose  life  is  evil  has  not 
caught  that  transforming  vision  of  God,  In  the  face  of 
Jesus  Christ,  which  Is  possible  to  the  eye  of  faith.  No 
matter  what  one  may  profess  or  what  power  he  may 
possess  in  the  Church,  words  and  deeds  are  the  infallible 
proofs  of  the  real  but  hidden  springs  of  life. 


172  THIRD  JOHN  HI  John  13,  14 


5.  The  Conclusion.    Vs.  13,  14 

13  I  had  many  things  to  write  unto  thee,  but  I  am  unwilling 
to  write  them  to  thee  with  ink  and  pen:  14  but  I  hope  shortly 
to  see  thee,  and  we  shall  speak  face  to  face.  Peace  be 
imto  thee.  The  friends  salute  thee.  Salute  the  friends 
by  name. 

As  the  aged  apostle  brings  his  letter  to  a  close,  just 
before  writing  his  benediction  of  "peace,"  and  before  send- 
ing the  greetings  of  Christian  friends  in  Ephesus  to  the 
Christian  friends  of  Gaius,  he  states  how  irksome  and  un- 
satisfactory it  is  for  him  to  communicate  "with  ink  and 
pen,"  and  he  expresses  the  hope  of  a  coming  visit  when  he 
can  "speak  face  to  face."  It  is  these  natural  and  human 
touches  which  make  the  last  epistles  of  John  so  fascinating 
and  full  of  life.  Here  we  are  not  moving  in  the  sphere  of 
the  supernatural  and  mysterious;  there  is  no  suggestion  of 
miracle  and  marvel;  but  here  we  find  men  and  women 
like  ourselves,  tempted  by  human  weakness  and  faults, 
furthering  the  work  of  Christ  by  the  exercise  of  hospitality, 
living  in  the  power  of  a  vital  faith,  laboring  in  love  and 
"walking  in  the  truth." 


EPISTLE  OF  JUDE  173 


THE   EPISTLE   OF 
JUDE 

The  writer  calls  himself  "Jude"  and  adds  that  he  is 
"brother  of  James."  Both  names  were  common  among 
the  early  followers  of  Christ.  Two  of  the  apostles  bore 
the  name  of  "Jude,"  or  its  exact  equivalent  "Judas,"  and 
two  others  were  called  "James."  Neither  this  writer, 
however,  nor  his  brother  were  members  of  the  apostolic 
band.  This  James  was  probably  the  well-known  leader 
of  the  church  in  Jerusalem  and  a  brother  of  our  Lord. 
It  therefore  appears  that  the  last  of  the  General  Epistles, 
like  the  first,  Avas  composed  by  a  member  of  that  family 
circle  which  is  reverently  associated  with  the  memories 
of  Nazareth,  of  Mary,  the  mother  of  Jesus,  and  of  our 
blessed  Lord  himself. 

The  occasion  of  the  epistle  seems  to  have  been  the  recep- 
tion by  the  writer  of  news  concerning  the  peril  which  was 
threatening  the  Church.  He  had  been  addressing  himself 
to  the  task  of  writing  a  treatise  on  the  subject  of  the 
"salvation"  which  he  shared  with  his  fellow  Christians, 
when  he  unexpectedly  found  it  necessar}^  to  write  them  this 
message  in  w^hich  he  urges  them  "to  contend  earnestly 
for  the  faith  which  was  once  for  all  delivered  unto  the 
saints."  He  has  learned  that  entrance  into  the  Church 
has  been  gained  by  certain  godless  men  who,  in  the  name 
of  liberty,  are  living  in  lawless  license,  and  under  the  cloak 
of  a  Christian  profession  are  hiding  their  shameless  im- 
purity.- Both  by  word  and  by  deed  they  are  denying  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

Jude  declares  that  their  doom  will  be  as  certain  as  that 
of  the  unbelieving  Israelites,  or  of  the  fallen  angels  or  of 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah.  He  describes  them  as  insolently 
defiant  of  all  authority,  like  Cain  in  murderous  envy, 
like  Balaam  in  their  greed  and  seduction,  like  Korah  in 
their  pride  and  rebellion.  They  threaten  their  fellow 
Christians  with  shipwreck  both  of  faith  and  morals.     In 


174  EPISTLE  OF  JUDE 

their  false  pretensions  they  are  Hke  shepherds  which  feed 
themselves  and  forget  the  flock,  like  clouds  which  bring 
no  rain,  like  fruitless  trees.  Restless  and  noisy  as  the 
surf  which  breaks  on  the  shore,  they  produce  only  that 
which  is  their  shame.  Like  blazing  meteors  they  appear 
brilliant  for  a  time  but  are  plunging  into  eternal  night. 

In  reference  to  them,  Jude  quotes  a  prophecy  attributed 
to  Enoch,  which  declares  the  coming  of  the  Lord  in  judg- 
ment upon  these  men  or  upon  the  sinners  of  his  own  day. 
Like  the  latter,  these  apostates  complain  of  their  lot,  live 
in  sensual  indulgence,  boast  of  their  knowledge  and  powers, 
and  selfishly  seek  their  own  advancement. 

The  readers  are  reminded  that  the  apostles  of  Christ 
had  also  predicted  that  the  end  of  this  age  would  be 
marked  by  the  appearance  of  just  such  false  leaders  who 
would  follow  their  own  lusts,  destroy  the  unity  of  the 
Church,  and  walk  after  their  fleshly  desires,  not  according 
to  the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

In  view  of  such  perilous  influences,  Jude  urges  upon 
true  believers  steadfast  effort  in  Christian  growth,  con- 
tinual prayer,  confidence  in  the  love  of  God,  and  abiding 
hope  in  the  appearing  of  Christ  who  will  bring  their 
experience  of  grace  to  its  final  glory.  As  to  those  who  are 
in  danger  of  being  corrupted  by  the  false  teachers,  some 
are  to  be  convinced  by  argument,  some  are  to  be  saved 
from  their  peril  by  severe  discipline,  some  are  to  be 
regarded  with  pity  while  their  polluting  contact  is  shunned. 
The  epistle  closes  with  a  superb  doxology  which  reminds 
the  readers  of  the  unfailing  protection  and  the  saving  power 
of  God,  to  whom,  with  Christ  our  Lord,  is  ascribed  eternal 
praises. 

The  outline  of  the  epistle  is  as  follows: 

1.  The  Salutation.     Jude  1,  2. 

2.  The  Occasion  of  Writing.     Vs.  3,  4. 

3.  The  Sin  and  the  Doom  of  the  False  Teachers.     Vs.  5-16. 

4.  The  Exhortation  to  the  Faithful.     Vs.  17-23. 

5.  The  Doxology.     Vs.  24,  25. 


Jude  1,  2  THE  SALUTATION  175 


1.  The  Salutation.    Jude  1,  2 

1  Jude,  a  servant  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  brother  of  James, 
to  them  that  are  called,  beloved  in  God  the  Father,  and 
kept  for  Jesus  Christ:  2  Mercy  unto  you  and  peace  and  love 
be  multiplied. 

The  writer  of  this  epistle  was,  almost  certainly,  a  brother 
of  our  Lord  Jesus;  yet  with  unassumed  modesty  he  calls 
himself  **a  servant  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  brother  of  James." 
As,  however,  this  James  was  probably  the  well-known 
head  of  the  church  at  Jerusalem  and  brother  of  the  Lord, 
Jude  does  intimate  his  relation  to  Jesus  and  further  sug- 
gests that  his  words  are  worthy  of  deep  respect.  He 
indicates,  however,  that  his  human  kinship  to  Christ  is 
less  important  to  him  than  his  spiritual  relation,  by  the 
first  phrase  he  employs,  "a  servant  of  Jesus  Christ." 
The  word  is  literally  a  "bondserv^ant"  or  "slave."  Pos- 
sibly there  is  something  of  humility  in  the  term,  but  there 
is  surely  much  of  dignity.  The  same  title  was  claimed  by 
the  great  Apostle  Paul.  It  may  be  assumed  properly  by 
every  follower  of  Christ.  Each  one  belongs  to  him,  as  pur- 
chased by  his  precious  blood,  each  owes  to  him  submission, 
each  finds  his  chief  joy  in  his  service. 

The  persons  addressed  are  unnamed  and  unknown;  but 
the  terms  in  which  they  are  described  are  so  beautiful  that 
all  readers  may  rejoice  in  believing  that  such  phrases  be- 
long to  them  if  only  they  belong  to  Christ.  They  are 
"called,"  for  they  have  heard  and  heeded  the  gracious 
summons  to  salvation  given  by  the  Holy  Spirit;  they  are 
"beloved,"  but  the  love  is  more  than  human  sentiment 
and  is  due  to  their  special  relation  to  "God  the  Father"; 
they  are  being  "kept,"  not  merely  through  present  trials 
and  temptations,  but  "for  Jesus  Christ"  whose  glorious 
return  they  are  awaiting.  For  such  favored  persons, 
whose  blessings  are  related  to  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Spirit,  the  unique  prayer  is  offered:  "Mercy  unto  you  and 
peace  and  love  be  multiplied."     "Mercy"  is  that  favor 


176  EPISTLE  OF  JUDE  Jude  1,  2 

toward  the  undeserving  shown  by  the  Father.  "Peace" 
denotes  a  perfect  relation  toward  God  and  our  fellow  men. 
"Love"  is  the  deepest  and  most  blessed  experience  of  the 
human  soul.  It  is  encouraging  to  believe  that  such 
graces  are  certain  to  be  increased  for  all  who  are  loyal  to 
the  living  Christ. 


Jude  3,  4  OCCASION  OF  WRITING  177 


2.  The  Occasion  of  the  Writing.    Vs.  3,  4 

3  Beloved,  while  I  was  giving  all  diligence  to  write  unto 
you  of  our  common  salvation,  I  was  constrained  to  write 
unto  you  exhorting  you  to  contend  earnestly  for  the  faith 
which  was  once  for  all  delivered  unto  the  saints.  4  For 
there  are  certain  men  crept  in  privily,  even  tiiey  who  were  of 
old  written  of  beforehand  unto  this  condemnation,  ungodly 
men,  turning  the  grace  of  our  God  into  lasciviousness,  and 
denying  our  only  Master  and  Lord,  Jesus  Christ. 

While  Jude  was  planning  to  write  his  fellow  believers  a 
letter  on  subjects  related  to  the  salvation  which  they  all 
shared,  he  was  confronted  with  the  necessity  of  abandon- 
ing this  plan,  and  of  preparing  this  epistle  in  which  he 
could  urge  his  readers  to  a  faithful  defense  of  the  great 
truths  which  had  been  received  from  Christ  and  his  apos- 
tles, which  he  had  been  hoping  to  expound,  which  were 
now  in  grave  peril.  The  nature  of  this  peril  was  the 
presence  and  influence,  within  the  Church,  of  certain  men 
who,  by  their  teaching  as  well  as  by  their  lives,  were  deny- 
ing the  Lord  whom  they  professed  to  obey.  Their  coming 
had  been  predicted  long  ago,  but  their  entrance  into  the 
Church  had  been  unobserved,  or  their  real  nature  had  not 
been  known,  and  their  power  had  not  been  appreciated. 
Now,  however,  Jude  is  fully  aroused  to  the  menace  which 
they  constitute  to  the  Christian  faith,  and  he  sounds  a 
call  to  arms,  he  declares  that  the  enemy  is  really  entrenched 
within  the  camp,  he  Insists  that  believers  must  "contend 
earnestly  for  the  faith  which  was  once  for  all  delivered 
unto  the  saints." 

By  these  words  he  indicates  that  the  body  of  revealed 
truth  Is  complete  and  final.  There  Is  no  other  gospel, 
there  will  be  none.  Its  content  will  be  more  fully 
understood,  its  Implications  will  be  developed,  its  predic- 
tions win  be  fulfilled;  but  it  will  never  be  supplemented 
or  succeeded  or  supplanted. 

Jude  further  indicates  that  this  truth  must  be  defended. 
Even  In  the  days  of  the  apostles,  even  In  the  early  Church 


178  EPISTLE  OF  JUDE  Jude  3, 4 

where  truth  was  held  so  dear,  there  were  those  who  denied 
the  realities  concerning  the  unique  person  and  the  saving 
work  of  Christ,  whose  insidious  teachings  corrupted  the 
pure  gospel,  whose  impious  lives  were  concealed  by  a  loud 
profession  of  "advanced"  knowledge.  So  it  has  ever  been 
in  all  ages.  The  most  dangerous  attacks  upon  the  truth 
have  come  from  within  the  Church  itself,  and  there  never 
have  been  wanting  those  who  have  declared  the  gospel  to 
be  erroneous,  defective,  or  at  least  immature,  who  under 
forms  most  specious  and  plausible  have  attacked  "the 
faith  which  was  once  for  all  delivered  unto  the  saints." 

Jude  also  indicates  that  the  best  defense  of  the  truth 
is  found  in  the  influence  of  a  holy  life.  Of  course  the 
Christian  beliefs  must  be  carefully  studied  and  clearly 
stated,  misrepresentations  must  be  denied,  and  false 
charges  must  be  answered,  but  the  way  "to  contend 
earnestly  for  the  faith"  is  not  that  of  physical  force  or 
bitter  denunciation  or  social  ostracism,  but  that  of  con- 
sistent living.  Truth  is  certain  to  manifest  itself  in  life. 
The  false  teachers  showed  their  errors  by  the  impurity  of 
their  deeds.  Those  who  would  defend  the  faith  must 
show  themselves  "saints,"  by  which  is  meant  real  "be- 
lievers" or  those  who  are  "consecrated  to  Christ." 


Jude  5-16       DOOM  OF  FALSE  TEACHERS  179 


3.  The  Sin  and  the  Doom  of  the  False  Teachers. 
Vs.  5-16 

5  Now  I  desire  to  put  you  in  remembrance,  though  ye 
know  all  things  once  for  all,  that  the  Lord,  having  saved  a 
people  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  afterward  destroyed  them 
that  believed  not.  6  And  angels  that  kept  not  their  own  prin- 
cipality, but  left  their  proper  habitation,  he  hath  kept  in  ever- 
lasting bonds  under  darkness  unto  the  judgment  of  the  great 
day.  7  Even  as  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  and  the  cities  about 
them,  having  in  like  manner  with  these  given  themselves 
over  to  fornication  and  gone  after  strange  flesh,  are  set  forth 
as  an  example,  suffering  the  punishment  of  eternal  fire.  8 
Yet  in  like  manner  these  also  in  their  dreamings  defile  the 
flesh,  and  set  at  nought  dominion,  and  rail  at  dignities.  9 
But  Michael  the  archangel,  when  contending  with  the  devil 
he  disputed  about  the  body  of  Moses,  durst  not  bring  against 
him  a  railing  judgment,  but  said.  The  Lord  rebuke  thee.  10 
But  these  rail  at  whatsoever  things  they  know  not:  and  what 
they  imderstand  natxxrally,  like  the  creatures  without  reason, 
in  these  things  are  they  destroyed.  11  Woe  unto  them! 
for  they  went  in  the  way  of  Cain,  and  ran  riotously  in  the  error 
of  Balaam  for  hire,  and  perished  in  the  gainsaying  of  Korah. 
12  These  are  they  who  are  hidden  rocks  in  your  love-feasts 
when  they  feast  with  you,  shepherds  that  without  fear  feed 
themselves;  clouds  without  water,  carried  along  by  winds; 
autiunn  trees  without  fruit,  twice  dead,  plucked  up  by  the 
roots;  13  wild  waves  of  the  sea,  foaming  out  their  own 
shame;  wandering  stars,  for  whom  the  blackness  of  darkness 
hath  been  reserved  for  ever.  14  And  to  these  also  Enoch,  the 
seventh  from  Adam,  prophesied,  saying.  Behold,  the  Lord 
came  with  ten  thousands  of  his  holy  ones,  15  to  execute 
judgment  upon  all  and  to  convict  all  ihe  ungodly  of  all  their 
works  of  ungodliness  which  they  have  ungodly  wrought, 
and  of  all  the  hard  things  which  ungodly  sinners  have  spoken 
against  him.  16  These  are  murmurers,  complainers,  walking 
after  their  lusts  (and  their  mouth  speaketh  great  swelling 
words) y  showing  respect  of  persons  for  the  sake  of  advantage. 

The  main  portion  of  this  epistle  is  thus  concerned  with 
the  character  and  the  punishment  of  these  men  whose 
presence  and  influence  are  such  a  serious  menace  to  the 


180  EPISTLE  OF  JUDE  Jude  5-16 

truth.  A  comparison  of  this  section  with  II  Peter,  ch.  2, 
shows  that  the  two  passages  are  practically  identical. 
Many  modern  students  have  concluded  that  when  Peter 
was  writing  he  had  this  Epistle  of  Jude  before  him;  other 
scholars  equally  eminent  believe  that  Jude,  in  composing 
his  letter,  had  in  hand  the  work  of  Peter.  Probably  it  is 
unwise  to  be  too  positive  in  asserting  the  priority  of  either 
epistle.  It  does  seem,  however,  that  the  enemies  whose 
advent  Peter  predicts  are  pictured  by  Jude  as  already  doing 
their  ruinous  work,  and  that  the  evils,  which  were  not 
full-grown  when  Peter  wrote,  have  now  reached  a  fatal 
maturity.  It  is  evident  that  in  spite  of  their  similarity 
the  passages  in  both  epistles  contain  features  which  are 
original  and  distinct.  Thus  the  first  example  of  divine 
punishment  cited  by  Jude  is  not  found  in  the  Second 
Epistle  of  Peter.  It  is  the  case  of  Israel,  the  chosen 
people,  who  in  spite  of  their  peculiar  privileges  and  their 
miraculous  deliverance  from  Egyptian  bondage,  lost  faith 
in  God,  and  all  "that  believed  not"  were  "destroyed." 
This  example  illustrates  not  only  the  certainty  of  doom  but 
the  nature  of  the  men  whom  Jude  is  describing.  It 
traces  the  source  of  their  sin  to  unbelief.  It  teaches  us, 
not  merely  that  high  privilege  does  not  insure  one  against 
failure  and  consequent  penalty,  but  also  the  lesson  drawn 
in  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  from  the  same  historic 
facts:  "Take  heed,  brethren,  lest  haply  there  shall  be  in 
any  one  of  you  an  evil  heart  of  unbelief,  in  falling  away 
from  the  living  God." 

The  second  example  of  divine  retribution  Jude  takes, 
not  directly  from  the  Old  Testament,  but  from  traditions 
which  were  current  in  the  writings  of  his  day.  The  "fall 
of  the  angels"  is  an  event  shrouded  in  mystery,  but  the 
reference  here  is  evidently  intended  to  illustrate  the 
fatal  pride  and  rebellion  which  filled  the  hearts  of  the 
apostates  whom  Jude  is  denouncing,  and  again  to  warn  his 
readers  that  the  most  exalted  position  is  no  safeguard 
against  sin  and  doom. 

The  third  example  reverts  to  the  history  of  Genesis,  to 
the  infamous  immorality  and  the  subsequent  destruction 
of  Sodom  and  the  surrounding  cities,  a  reference  intended 


Jude  5-16       DOOM  OF  FALSE  TEACHERS  181 

not  only  to  charge  with  impurity  the  false  teachers  to  whom 
Jude  refers,  but  also  to  warn  them  of  their  peril  of  suffering 
a  like  penalty. 

These  libertines,  however,  refuse  to  be  warned;  and, 
vainly  dreaming  that  they  can  safely  pursue  their  unholy 
course,  they  treat  with  insolence  the  Church  authorities 
who  would  restrain  and  admonish  them.  Jude  declares 
that  such  conduct  is  condemned  by  the  example  of  the 
archangel,  Michael,  who  refrained  from  railing  against 
even  the  Devil  when  disputing  with  him  about  the  body 
of  Moses.  Here  again  the  reference  is  to  a  tradition  about 
which  it  is  useless  to  speculate.  The  practical  purpose  of 
Jude  is  obvious.  He  rebukes  the  impious  folly  of  those 
men  who  insulted  authorities  they  should  have  respected, 
and  spoke  irreverently  of  truths  which  they  did  not 
understand,  while,  in  the  realm  of  sensual  indulgence, 
where  they  were  at  home,  they  brought  about  their  own 
destruction  by  yielding  to  animal  passions. 

To  the  charge  of  senseless  insolence,  Jude  adds  that  of 
murderous  envy  and  hatred:  "they  went  in  the  way  of 
Cain";  and  further,  of  corrupting  greed,  "the  error  of 
Balaam;  and,  again,  of  proud  rebellion,"  "the  gainsaying 
of  Korah." 

Such  then  are  seven,  at  least,  of  the  evil  characteristics 
of  these  guilty  apostates  whose  destruction  Jude  solemnly 
predicts;  they  are  unbelieving,  proud,  sensual,  insolent, 
envious,  greedy,  rebellious.  Their  picture  is  made  more 
abhorrent,  however,  by  the  figures  of  speech  which 
follow,  which  portray  their  corrupting  influence,  their 
hypocrisy,  their  disgrace,  and  their  doom.  Partaking  of 
the  Christian  love  feasts,  these  false  teachers  are  like 
hidden  rocks  which  cause  the  shipwreck  of  souls.  In  their 
great  professions  and  their  failure  to  give  aid,  they  are 
like  shepherds  who  care  solely  for  their  own  needs,  or  like 
clouds  which  bring  no  rain,  or  like  trees  which  are  fruitless 
and  blasted,  or  like  waves  breaking  on  the  shore  and  leav- 
ing a  worthless  deposit,  or  like  meteors  which  for  a  brief 
time  blaze  across  the  sky  and  disappear  in  eternal  darkness. 

The  punishment  of  these  apostates  has  been  intimated 
again  and  again;  but  it  is  finally  stated  by  Jude  in  words 


482  EPISTLE  OF  JUDE  Jude  5-16 

which  tradition  had  assigned  to  Enoch,  "the  seventh  from 
Adam,"  the  ancient  saint  who  "walked  with  God"  and  was 
translated  without  dying.  It  is  stated  that  he  prophesied 
"to  these,"  that  is,  to  men  of  this  same  character,  who  lived 
in  his  own  day,  as  well  as  to  these  false  teachers  in  the 
early  Church.  It  is  further  implied  that  exactly  such  men 
will  exist  in  the  latter  da3's  just  before  our  Lord  returns, 
dissatisfied  men,  slaves  of  passion,  proud  boasters,  and 
cringing  flatterers.  However,  the  Lord  will  come  "with 
ten  thousands  of  his  holy  ones  to  execute  judgment  upon 
all."  In  the  expression,  "Behold,  the  Lord  came,"  we 
have  the  past  tense  of  prophetic  vision.  So  certain  is 
the  event  that  the  prophet  describes  it  as  already  fulfilled. 
The  delay  may  seem  long,  sinful  apostates  may  feel  secure, 
but  the  hour  will  strike,  and  the  Judge  surely  will  appear. 


Jude  17-23    EXHORTATION  TO  FAITHFUL  183 


4.  The  Exhortation  to  the  Faithful.   Vs.  17-23 

17  But  ye,  beloved,  remember  ye  the  words  which  have 
been  spoken  before  by  the  apostles  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ; 
18  that  they  said  to  you.  In  the  last  time  there  shall  be  mock- 
ers, walking  after  their  own  ungodly  lusts.  19  These  are 
they  who  make  separations,  sensual,  having  not  the  Spirit. 
20  But  ye,  beloved,  building  up  yourselves  on  your  most 
holy  faith,  praying  in  the  Holy  Spirit,  21  keep  yourselves  in 
the  love  of  God,  looking  for  the  mercy  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  unto  eternal  life.  22  And  on  some  have  mercy,  who 
are  in  doubt;  23  and  some  save,  snatching  them  out  of  tiie 
fire;  and  on  some  have  mei 
garment  spotted  by  the  flesh. 

Here,  at  last,  the  epistle  reaches  its  climax;  not  in  the 
description  of  the  false  teachers  and  their  doom,  but  in 
this  exhortation,  addressed  to  the  faithful  followers  of 
Christ,  the  real  purpose  of  Jude  is  fulfilled. 

The  exhortation  is  threefold.  First,  Jude  reminds  his 
readers  that  the  presence  in  the  Church  of  such  ungodly 
men  was  to  be  expected ;  it  should  not  surprise  or  dismay 
or  discourage;  the  apostles  of  Christ  had  predicted  it. 
The  Church  never  would  be  free  from  such  peril  before  the 
Lord  returned.  One  sign  of  his  near  approach  would  be 
the  increasing  power  and  insolence  of  such  teachers,  who 
would  mock  at  the  idea  of  a  coming  judgment,  who  would 
walk  according  to  their  godless  lusts,  who  would  "make 
separations"  in  the  Church,  men  of  sensual  instincts, 
utterly  devoid  of  spiritual  life. 

In  striking  contrast  with  such  apostates,  Jude  next 
encourages  his  readers  to  build  themselves  up  upon  the 
foundation  of  their  "most  holy  faith,"  by  which  he  means 
upon  those  truths  which  "once  for  all"  were  "delivered 
unto  the  saints,"  which  alone  form  the  true  basis  for  an 
enlarging  Christian  life  and  experience.  Further,  they 
were  to  pray  in  the  power  and  under  the  guidance  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  from  whom  alone  could  come  the  strength 
for  growth  and  the  power  for  life.     They  were  to  "keep" 


184  EPISTLE  OF  JUDE  Jude  17-23 

themselves  "in  the  love  of  God" ;  this  is  the  most  emphatic 
verb  in  this  part  of  the  exhortation;  it  is  the  one  impera- 
tive, for  to  abide  in  the  consciousness  of  the  love  of  God  is 
the  surest  safeguard  against  sin;  such  abiding  may  be 
secured  by  faith  and  prayer  and  obedience.  They 
were  to  keep  their  eyes  fixed  upon  the  mercy  which  would 
be  brought  to  them  at  the  return  of  Christ,  when  "eternal 
life"  would  be  realized  by  them  in  all  its  fullness  and 
glory. 

Last  of  all,  Jude  exhorts  believers  as  to  their  attitude 
toward  those  who  are  in  danger  of  being  led  astray  from 
consistent  Christian  life  and  belief.  He  declares  that 
careful  discrimination  must  be  exercised,  and  that  every 
effort  should  be  made  to  protect  and  to  save.  Some  are 
"in  doubt";  they  merit  your  compassion,  your  warning, 
your  patient  care.  Some  are  in  imminent  peril,  they  need 
severe  discipline;  only  thus  can  they  be  snatched  from  the 
fire  of  their  fierce  temptations.  Even  those  whose  unbe- 
lief and  perversity  seem  most  hopeless,  are  to  be  regarded 
with  pity  by  those  who  shrink  from  all  contact  with  their 
pollution  and  sin. 

Thus  Jude  exhorts  Christians  how  to  meet  impiety  and 
apostasy;  not  with  surprise,  for  these  have  been  pre- 
dicted; not  with  inactivity,  for  spiritual  zeal  and  effort 
form  the  best  protection  against  temptation;  not  with 
indifference,  for  many  souls  will  be  in  peril  and  some  may 
be  rescued  from  death. 


Jude  24,  25  THE  DOXOLOGY  185 


5.  The  Doxology.    Vs.  24,  25 

24  Now  unto  him  that  is  able  to  guard  you  from  stumbling, 
and  to  set  you  before  the  presence  of  his  glory  without  blemish 
in  exceeding  joy,  25  to  the  only  God  our  Saviour,  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  be  glory,  majesty,  dominion  and  power, 
before  all  time,  and  now,  and  for  evermore.    Amen. 

No  more  inspiring  ascription  of  praise  can  be  found  in 
the  General  Epistles,  nor  one  with  which  these  epistles 
more  fittingly  may  conclude.  The  thought  has  been  led 
through  dark  scenes  of  perplexity  and  suffering,  of  apos- 
tasy and  doom;  but  now  the  clouds  break  away,  and  the 
eyes  gaze  in  rapture  on  the  face  of  a  loving  God,  on  the 
glory  of  a  coming  Christ.  The  readers  had  been  told  to 
"keep"  themselves  in  the  love  of  God;  now  they  are 
assured  that  God  will  keep  them;  in  spite  of  pitfalls  and 
snares,  he  "is  able  to  guard  you  from  stumbling";  regard- 
less of  moral  perils  and  present  sorrows,  he  will  "set  you 
before  the  presence  of  his  glory,"  at  the  appearing  of 
Christ,  "without  blemish"  and  in  exultant  "joy."  To  this 
one  God  our  Saviour,  as  there  ever  has  been,  so  may  there 
be  now  and  forevermore,  "glory,  majesty,  dominion  and 
power,"  "through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord."     "Amen." 


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The  General  epistles; 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


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